Tainted Ties - Act Three: Lost Son
by Tony Mancosu
Summary: The conclusion to the book-length Tainted Ties epic, set 11 years after Rise & Decay. The galaxy has greatly changed, and Darth Sceptaurus finally unleashes his master plan in full force. Drama, Action, Tragedy, Romance, Comedy and and everything in between. Two new side characters and the ever-evolving lives of the main characters, plus a shocking conclusion.
1. Chapter 1

**Tainted Ties -**

**ACT THREE:**

**Lost Son**

* * *

><p>In the last eleven years, much has changed, yet much remains the same. Tratzel's army continues to grow, and his ongoing campaign against the Hutts has facilitated his rise to power through the ranks of the Republic military. Koren, the son of Vhinh Skywalker, continues to grow in the ways of the dark side of the Force under his master, Darth Sceptaurus, and has been given his title as the newest Dark Lord of the Sith.<p>

Meanwhile, the Jedi are fighting their own war against the Tekdaemon cartel, despite Tratzel's increasingly more adamant requests that they withdraw in order to join in his efforts against the Hutts, seeking to eliminate them completely. Nars Free'ta and Karta Oblith have taken hiatus from the bounty hunter trade to aid the Jedi in this growing war effort.

The Republic has experienced a slight relief from the heavy economic strain caused by the rise of the cartels. How long this relief will last remains to be seen. The public view of the Jedi has become a more positive one in light of the Order's success against the Tekdaemon cartel. Eulian Tratzel's Chrome Guard, however, have also become an institution in the Republic for maintaining order in the galaxy.

With work becoming harder to find amid the massive cartel losses, the bounty hunters have become restless, even at times fighting amongst themselves for bounties and territory. The Bounty Hunters Guild has elected a Chieftain to see them through these hard times and attempt to bring the Guild back to its former glory.

The Jedi feel they are getting closer to uncovering the secrets of Eulian Tratzel and the Tekdaemons, and unmasking a possible Sith lord. Darth Sceptaurus, on the other hand, is preparing to strike, unleashing his army and new apprentice upon the unsuspecting galaxy.

With so many warring factions, each must ultimately choose between two sides - though it may not always be clear which is which...

* * *

><p><strong>-1-<strong>

* * *

><p>Vhinh awoke in a haze. He'd had the dream again - the dream about the single, blood-red star. But he'd communicated with it this time, had felt its life force reaching back. Then the star slowly became swallowed by the surrounding darkness, but he could still feel its heat. Though now he could no longer see it, he felt it drawing closer... closer... until he felt the searing heat on him, burning him. He tried to cry out, but there was no sound. And then he'd awoken.<p>

As he lay back for a moment, allowing the haze to clear, he silently contemplated the dream's meaning. He'd been having this dream, off and on, since after he'd spent that one night with Nea. He hadn't heard from her, and didn't expect to, since their last meeting at the cafe over a decade ago. But that blood-red star; did it represent _her _- or their _son_?

Vhinh still tried to contact Koren, but the connection was getting harder to establish, as if something was twisting at it, obscuring it. And more and more often, he'd received strange, cryptic messages in return; hate-filled messages that deeply disturbed him. Vhinh now worried for him, and hoped that once Eulian Tratzel was brought to justice, it would help shed new light on the subject of Nea and Koren.

Rolling over, his eyes came to rest on Karta, who lay by his side. A smile once again graced his lips, and he pulled himself closer to her. Smoothing her long hair back from her face, he planted a single, tender kiss on her lips. Her eyes slowly opened, and when they came to focus on him, a smile shown on her face as well.

"Will you marry me?" he asked softly, not taking his eyes off her.

She ran her fingers through his hair, then pulled him in for a kiss.

"No. But thank you for asking."

"And I'll keep asking every day until the answer is yes."

"Go ahead. Who knows, one day you might get lucky."

"I'm always lucky when I'm with you." With that, he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tightly against him, and they shared a long kiss.

He had, in fact, been asking her that very question on a daily basis, sometimes in person, sometimes over holo, for the last year or so. And she'd always given him the same answer. It had almost become like a ritual to them. Vhinh understood that Karta had unresolved issues, that her mind was still heavily occupied with the ongoing situation with Tratzel and the Tekdaemons. And Karta desperately wanted to marry Vhinh, and swore she would one day, if they didn't end up dead first.

It had been a long and tortured courtship between the two. They'd both been rather reserved with expressing their true feelings, trying to focus on the ongoing war effort rather than personal matters, though their feelings had been obvious to them and anyone around them. When they'd finally given in, they'd become like some old married couple, as if they'd been together forever.

Constantly occupied with the campaign against the Tekdaemons, they didn't get many moments like this, but made the most of the ones they did.

"Why are you up so early?" she asked, seeing the wall chrono that barely read oh-five-hundred hours. "Did you have the dream again?"

He nodded, and she gently stroked his temple with her fingertips.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

He shrugged. "I don't know - not really much to say. It seems like it's getting _stronger_, though."

"What do you think that means?"

"I really wish I knew." After a long moment, he sat up. "I _miss _him, Karta. I've never even met him, and I still miss him. I still worry - that something isn't right."

She knew what he was talking about. Vhinh had told her about everything; his misguided love interest, their one night of indiscretion, and the son he'd never met - perhaps the best thing to come of the entire situation.

Karta scooted in close behind him, wrapping her arms around him and resting her chin on his shoulder. "I know." She squeezed him hard. "I think that whatever happens, he'll be able to handle it, though. He _is _a Skywalker, after all."

"Maybe that's what I'm _afraid _of." He shuddered at the thought, but reached back to bury his hand in her hair, kissing her forehead.

They sat quietly like that for a few moments, until she finally broke the silence. "Do you think we should start getting ready?"

"We still have time," he said, turning to face her, then pulling her close and kissing her.

"Mmm. We should wake up early _every _morning," she said as they lay back, falling into each other.

* * *

><p>Torrentia Galaxica; translation: Dangerous Galaxy. The nightclub was aptly named in its native Plenthese tongue, as the only beings who dared, or were even allowed, to set foot in the hot spot were either the very rich, very powerful, or both. You didn't get in if you weren't on the list - and the list comprised many high-level cartel members, politicians, even a few very successful bounty hunters, among others. A remnant of organized crime's heyday, it was was stationed on Plentha, one of the few remaining solely Tekdaemon-controlled worlds.<p>

For those on the top floor, in a private suite called the _Dragon Room_, that heyday had not yet ended.

The _Dragon Room_, reserved by and for only the most elite of Torrentia Galaxica's already exclusive list of patrons, was nearly the size of a luxury Coruscantian apartment, and every bit as fancy. Fine furnishings, ludicrously-priced artwork, a state-of-the-art holo center, in-floor sauna and a full bar stocked with only the galaxy's finest wines and liquors made any visitor truly feel like a king or queen - and one practically had to be in order to afford a night there. The current occupants, however, weren't there for the atmosphere.

"This pulse better be as good as you say it is, Tago," a man spoke, perhaps in his mid-twenties, looking too young to have achieved such status. He wore his hair long but well-kept, was clean-shaven and immaculately dressed.

Pulse, the hottest designer spice currently on the market, was normally inhaled in its shimmering, translucent blue powder form. It did indeed affect the user's pulse rate, among other things. Stimulating the adrenal gland, it was like receiving a shot of pure adrenaline, enabling the user to do things they normally couldn't - or _thought _they couldn't. While this had obvious uses, one could still enjoy the spice without being active, as it stimulated dopamine receptors, bringing about intense feelings of euphoria, and even contained psycho-active chemicals which enabled the user to actually create their own reality in their mind, while having complete control over it.

A do-it-all spice, it also demanded a high price, and not only in credits. Highly addictive, it could, over time, obscure the user's concept of reality, in addition to causing physical and mental deterioration, leaving one a weak, mindless mess, slowly rotting from the inside. While this didn't happen to every user, it was easy to get pulled in before you knew it, and the effects were irreversible.

"Don't worry, Krayto. I stand by my product. See for yourself." The much older Kaleesh know as Tago removed a small vibro-blade from his front pocket, breaking up a clump of the sparkling powder on a tray and offering it to the younger human. Both were surrounded with men who were as well-armed as they were dressed.

Krayto took the tray and, gathering a small amount on his finger-tip, brought it to one of his nostrils and inhaled sharply. He immediately shook his head vigorously, closing his eyes and scrunching up his face. "Yup. That's the stuff."

"I got an entire Correllian freighter full of it, headed your way once our intermediary receives the credits."

"They're already on their - "

Just then, a loud creaking was heard coming from the ceiling of the _Dragon Room_. Within seconds, it manifested into a large crash, a smoking hot slab of durasteel plating breaking through the decorative ceiling's covering and landing in the middle of the floor, narrowly missing a few of the men.

From out of the new hole in the ceiling emerged four Jedi, including Edala Gilgeri, who had only recently received the title of Master. The room quickly erupted with blaster-fire from every being, except for Krayto, who, with the press of a button on his suit-front, was instantly encased in full body armor, including helmet, and hastily ran for the exit.

Not about to let any of these ring leaders get away, Edala immediately took off after him. This guy was _fast_, though! Already reaching the roof of the building, he began jumping from rooftop to rooftop as if it were nothing. But Edala was a Jedi Master, and it _was _nothing to her. Still, the guy was doing a good job in keeping distance between them, and she feared she may have to use more extreme measures: to allow him to escape was _not _an option.

Removing her lightsaber from her belt, she flung it toward him, aiming low with an arc that would take off his left foot. A second before the blade made contact, however, he jumped over it!

_How in the stars?! _she thought, catching the lightsaber upon its did, however, slow him down enough for her to begin to close the distance between them. _Let's see if he can do _that _again. _Again she flung the weapon at him, this time about knee height, and he vaulted over it, a split-second before it would have seriously hindered his mobility.

_Who the hell _is _this guy_? She would find out.

His armor, though appearing to be light-weight, must have been wearing on him, because his pace had slowed just a little, and after Edala's last attack, she was able to close the distance - enough to make a desperate leap, latching onto one of his legs and tripping him up.

Expecting the thug to put up a fight, she quickly flipped him over, straddling him, achieving full guard, and drawing her lightsaber, holding it centimeters from his face.

Then she began her interrogation.

"Who _are _you?! Where did you learn to do that?! Answer me!" she pressed, all the while shaking him violently with her free hand.

"Woah! _Easy_, Dal - it's _me_!" came a voice from behind the mask.

_Dal_. The nick-name brought memories flooding back to her, memories from her childhood. No one had called her that in so long...

In her momentary stupor, he was able to wriggle one of his arms free, and with it, gestured to his helmet. "May I?"

She realized he was asking permission to remove it. _Okay_, she was willing to oblige. Stepping off of him, she allowed him to stand up and dust himself off, but kept her saber drawn, eyeing him carefully.

When he finally removed the helmet, she was hit with something. That face - so different, yet so much the same; an older version of one who had once been near and dear to her heart. But it couldn't be - could it?

"Jhan?"

He said nothing, only gazed at her, as if taking his first fresh breath in years.

It _was _Jhan. Then she was hit by something else - a swarm of feelings - feelings she'd pushed back, denied; feelings she'd been forced to forget.

Before he could attempt to speak, Jhan was hit with something as well - a hard, stinging slap across the face.

"What was that for, Dal?" he asked, popping his jaw back into place and holding a hand over the new large pink blotch on his face.

"What was that for? _What was that for_?! Are you _serious_, Jhan?!" she screamed, pushing him roughly. Then she searched his eyes, almost pleadingly, a single teardrop falling down her cheek.

He looked instantly remorseful, and his own eyes began to glaze over as well. All the nights he'd pushed that image from his mind, not wanting to face what he had done when he'd abandoned the temple - abandoned _her_. And here it was, staring him in the face - and he couldn't push it away; because it was _real_.

"I know, Dal. I'm _so _sorry - I can't even _say_. I wanted so badly to take you with me, but I knew you wouldn't go, that you'd try to get me to stay. And I _couldn't _stay - couldn't be a part of what was going on..." He looked into her eyes, and he wanted so badly for his words to convey all he wished to say to her. But he knew they fell flat.

Now she looked at him bitterly. "Well, I see you found something _much _better."

After the sarcasm sunk in, he shook his head profusely. "No, _no_! This - ," he pressed a button on his armor, folding it away and again revealing his expensive clothes, "this is all for _show_, Dal - it's an act! I'm still fighting for the same reason, but I'm doing it differently. I'm _on _to something - I've _learned _things - _big _things!"

Then he lowered his voice, barely over a whisper. "Did you know there's a rumor that the entire Tekdaemon organization is run by a _Sith _lord? A _Sith _lord!"

She looked at him, unmoved. "Well, we've already suspected something to that effect."

He went on, "and all those bounty hunters, who always had information we didn't - they were _working_ for the cartels - _both _cartels! The whole thing was a _conspiracy_!"

Edala seemed to process this. "We've thought as much, but we can't prove anything."

Jhan looked at her, excitedly, eyes wide. "Well I _can_!"

"Then come with me back to the temple," she urged, placing her hand on his, her face now softening.

He quickly looked down and to the side. "I can't. I disgraced them when I left; I can't go back."

"None of that matters now! Do you know what it _did _to us when you left, Jhan? Master Skywalker would take you back in a _second_ - you were the best student we had!"

He shook his head. "Look, Dal, can we not do this right now? I don't know what I'm going to do, but there's still more I _need _to do. Can we just - ," his voice grew tender, "can I just look at you for a minute?"

She said nothing, but stood there, allowing him to look upon her, turning her head to the side to avoid his gaze.

"Gods, you're so beautiful," he said, "just like I remember. And you're... are you a _Master _now?"

She nodded absently, but still wouldn't look at him.

"I'm _so _proud of you, Dal! And I've missed you _so _much." He opened his arms to her. "Come here."

Turning to face him again, she reluctantly moved toward his waiting embrace. She looked up at him, some of the uncertainty slowly fading from her eyes. Then she abruptly stopped, taking a step back.

Her eyes went cold. "You really _are _deep into this, aren't you?"

Confusion now filled his face. "Wait - _what_? I _told _you this is an _act_!"

"Save it!" she snapped. Looking away again, she shook her head, then looked back, raising a finger to him. "Whatever you decide to do, _Jhan_, just know that this is the only time I'm letting you go, so you'd better take the chance before I change my mind. You keep running with the cartels, and you are my _enemy_, and will be treated as such."

With that, she turned and strode away.

"Wait - _Dal_! Don't _go_!" he said pleadingly.

"You have something on your nose!" she yelled back to him, not even bothering to turn.

As he watched her leave, walking out of his life like he'd done to her so long ago, only moments after their tearful reunion, he didn't know if he should try to follow her or if she was somehow right. Touching a finger to his nose, he found a trace of shimmering blue powder. No doubt she'd also seen his dilated pupils.

It _was _all an act, though - a convincing one, but only because it _had _to be. There was so much more he needed to do, but he was getting closer...

Perhaps he was right not to follow her. There were other things; things she wouldn't understand... But he wanted so badly to just be back in her life again. Seeing her had only reinforced that.

How many more casualties would it take?

* * *

><p>From out the transparisteel window of their abode on Xadox, two Sith lords watched the colossal construction droids hard at work on their ever-expanding colony. The droids now worked constantly to keep up with the housing needs of the growing Sith army. Of course much of the Chrome Guard were already stationed on various Republic worlds, serving newly-appointed Supreme Commander Eulian Tratzel in his campaign against the Hutt cartel, but Darth Sceptaurus wasn't yet ready for the true size of his army to be known.<p>

"When do we strike, Master? I am ready - I _feel _it." The one formerly known by the name Koren, but now only as Darth Zin, turned to his master, their faces both shrouded in black.

"I know you are, my apprentice. Patience... the time is almost at hand. Soon, the Jedi will all fall before us."

"You know there is only one Jedi I am concerned with, Master. Allow me to slay him, and I will kill as many of the others as you wish."

"Then you must follow my lead - do this, and I will deliver him to you _personally_."

Darth Zin nodded. "It is so _strong_, Master. I feel it consuming me."

Darth Sceptaurus only smiled. He could sense it - and it sent shivers down his spine. The term 'caged animal' did not even begin to do it justice. If a fusion bomb could be imbued with hatred and given the will to unleash that hatred on a chosen target, that was what Darth Zin most closely embodied. Sceptaurus's own power surged from the hatred radiating off Zin. He had never felt so powerful himself - even moreso knowing that he controlled this power, and would direct it as he saw fit.

Darth Zin was, Darth Sceptaurus now believed, his crowning achievement. In time, however, there would no longer be a use for him, and he would become a liability; then just another casualty. But Sceptaurus would savor this time they had together, for it was like the primal, savage phase of a world's evolution, filled with heart and purpose, before finally settling into the more mature, rational state of civilization.

The decadence, he would save for the Republic, for it in fact had already entered into this phase. Of course he would salvage what he could, in order to bend it to his will, only eliminating the elements that he deemed detrimental to his Empire's future success. Those particular elements, he would crush completely, taking steps to ensure they never re-surfaced to disrupt his plans.

It was definitely not a good time to be a Jedi.

* * *

><p>Notes:<p>

Hey guys, sorry it's been so long! Don't like to make excuses so I'll just say I'm back and there are many surprises to come - stay tuned! Thanks for hanging in there and I promise I'll do my best to make it worth your while! No cover yet for Act Three but I'll get around to it eventually.

Star Wars names and concepts are owned by Lucasfilm and used for creative purposes only.  
>Original names and concepts created by Tony Mancosu. Cover art by Tony Mancosu.<p> 


	2. Chapter 2

**-2-**

* * *

><p>"I love you."<p>

"I love you, too. Be _safe_," Vhinh warned as he and Karta said their good-byes. They exchanged one last kiss, then their fingers remained locked until they were no longer within reach of each other.

"Come on, guys," said Nars, "you'll see each other again! You're making the anticipation even worse for me."

Nars and Karta were off to Gli'ze'kai, home to his wife of five years and their four-year-old daughter. It had been almost a year since their last visit, having been preoccupied with the Tekdaemons and still trying to maintain a low profile. Nars had been going stir-crazy.

Boarding the small shuttle, along with Klaxen Vik, their Jedi escort, the two gave one last wave as the entrance ramp closed. The shuttle's thrusters fired up, and within seconds they were preparing to leave Fi'ar'la's atmosphere, bound for the distant Outer Rim planet.

Once they'd reached zero gravity, Nars rose from his seat and began pacing the cabin. "I can't wait to see her, Karta."

"I know, buddy, I know," she said calmingly. "Tell ya what, we need to get your mind off her for a while. How bout playing a couple hands?" she asked, removing a sabaac deck from her jacket pocket.

"Yeah, I guess," he said unenthusiastically.

"Sorry, Klax," Karta called to the Jedi in the cockpit, currently punching in hyperspace coordinates, "fraid you're overqualified for this game."

"That's okay, Karta," he laughed. "So... when's it going to be _Mrs. Skywalker_?"

"Why does everyone keep asking me that?!" She feigned annoyance, but she actually liked hearing it.

"Maybe because it doesn't take a Jedi to foresee some things," he teased.

"Foresee _this_, Jedi," Karta said, making a gesture at which Klaxen laughed heartily.

Basically having lived at the temple for the last ten years or so, though sometimes it seemed they were rarely there, Nars and Karta had built a rapport with many of the resident Jedi. Reflecting on that fact, it sunk in to Karta how long she'd been living this life - the life of a fugitive, in one way or another. And how long she'd been with Nars. Both of their ages were beginning to show, albeit in subtle ways; maybe a faint line here or there. No grey hairs yet for Karta, something Nars wouldn't have to worry about. Lucky for him. Vhinh was starting to show more in his beard, but she thought it made him look wiser, which he was.

It would be nice to get away from everything for a little while. The war was taking its toll on everybody. Karta was actually looking forward to seeing Wi'su and Ka'dia almost as much as Nars. She'd gone with him nearly every time, and had been there when they'd first met seven years ago while doing reconnaissance on Gli'ze'kai. Wi'su, a native to the planet, had worked at a local cantina where they'd tracked a few suspects. They didn't end up finding their quarry that time, but Nars had found the woman of his dreams.

Soon, the planet's many moons came into view, and the multi-colored gases pumped out by Gli'ze'kai's atmosphere factories could be seen gradually dissipating into space. As they breached the artificial atmosphere, the world's barren features came into view, now heavily covered with homes and businesses. Originally a mining colony, it had quickly expanded as more entrepreneurs sought to capitalize on the planet's rich supply of valueable minerals.

Touching down at Gorospan Spaceport, Nars was the first out of the shuttle, eyes darting every which way in search of Wi'su's speeder.

"There they are!" he pointed out, seeing a red speeder appearing off in the distance.

Karta shared his enthusiasm, giving his shoulder a lively squeeze.

As the speeder drew closer, a small Gran could be seen waving and bouncing excitedly in her seat. When the two Gran emerged from the speeder, the little one shot out like a blaster bolt toward Nars and Karta.

Nars, spreading his arms wide, was passed by as the young one, screaming, "Auntie Karta! Auntie Karta!" forcibly leapt into her arms.

Karta picked the young one up, holding her high and spinning, then pulling her in for a hug. "And how is my favorite little neice? Are you still driving your mommy crazy?" she asked, tickling the little one's belly, causing her to giggle hysterically.

"When has she not?" answered the older female Gran, smiling warmly as she approached them. She moved in for a big hug from Nars, followed by a long kiss. They then began giggling themselves, rubbing their noses together, making quite a little spectacle. Karta wondered if her and Vhinh ever looked like this to others, but when she saw the couple's eye stalks become blissfully entangled with each other, she decided they probably didn't.

"And how have you been, Karta? Keeping him out of trouble?" the female Gran asked.

"Ha, like I need to! He's been such a bore since he got caught in the ol' tractor beam," she joked, giving Nars a playful shove. Then, putting the little one down, she said, "Ka'dia, why don't you go say hi to your daddy? I bet he missed you lots!"

"Hi, daddy!" Ka'dia proclaimed with renewed enthusiasm.

"Hey, baby girl!" Nars answered, scooping her up in one arm while the other remained around Wi'su's waist. "Wow, you are getting _so_ big! Pretty soon _you'll _have to pick _me _up!"

When they were all situated and back at Wi'su's home, she began preparing an enormous meal for everyone. Normally eating typical Gran food like goatgrass and the like herself, Wi'su took Karta's human tastes into account and had prepared a juicy nerf steak, and even a special meal for Klaxen from his homeworld of Povis III. Nars, on the other hand, was never hard to cook for, as it almost seemed he would eat anything that was either alive at one time or grew somewhere. His gradually expanding paunch was testament to this - in recent years especially, as Wi'su never would let them leave without a small crate of her homemade preserves. Wi'su often would say Nars was the weirdest Gran she had ever met, not acting like or eating like other Gran, but she obviously loved him nonetheless.

"So, how goes the war effort," she asked as they all finally sat down to eat.

"About as good as a war can be expected to, I guess," Karta responded. "We're doing mostly recon, but we still manage to make a catch here and there, don't we?" She turned to Nars, who was too busy eating to answer right away, so she went on.

"Yeah, we tracked a few Tek stragglers to Uden, a little Outer Rim world. Turns out they were actually setting up an outpost there, re-grouping to mount an attack." She grinned, looking at Klaxen, who grinned back. "Boy, were they surprised when a hundred Jedi starfighters showed up to crash the party!"

"Any close calls?" Wi'su asked in an interested voice, though the inherrent concern was hard to miss.

"Naw, not really. These guys do a good job looking out for us," Karta said, motioning to Klaxen. "Though I personally wouldn't mind seeing a little more action."

"Meh," Nars finally put in, even though he did actually sometimes miss the more wild, unguarded adventures they used to have.

"You're too important to our investigation, Karta," Klaxen added. "Not to mention to a certain Jedi..." he smirked.

"Yeah, when _is _the wedding, by the way?" Wi'su added, teasing Karta as well.

"Oh, _come on_, Wi'su, not you too!" Karta sometimes wished Vhinh and her had kept their relationship low-key for longer, though even then they would get the occasional whisper and snicker.

After dinner, everyone thanked Wi'su profusely for the excellent food. Little Ka'dia asked if Karta would sleep in her room, to which Karta was happy to oblige. Karta still hated sleeping alone, even after all these years. She sometimes wondered what her problem was. Tratzel had really done a number on her.

The next day, when Klaxen informed them it was time to depart, Karta noticed Nars was acting a little strange. He seemed sad, as usual, but this time in a more reflective way somehow. Normally by now he would be playfully splayed on the floor, grabbing Ka'dia's ankles and mock-screaming '_Please don't let them take me!_' then sharing an unbroken embrace with Wi'su until they were informed it was absolutely time to go.

Karta wandered over to him, giving his shoulder a squeeze. "How you doing, buddy?"

"I don't know. Okay, I guess," he responded, seeming distant.

"Hey, we'll come back soon, okay?" she reassured.

"Karta, I need to talk to you," he said, not making eye contact. Those words were never good to hear.

"Okay...," she started. "So what's up?"

He still didn't look at her. "I'm not going back to Fi'ar'la."

Karta stood there, not understanding. "Wh- what do you mean?"

"I mean I'm staying here, Karta - with my family. I need to. I've been away from them for too long."

"Wow," was the only reaction she could muster. Karta knew it would happen eventually, but she was expecting it to be after the war or something. And she was expecting to have more time to prepare for it. Still, it always had been in the back of her mind. "So, what are you going to do?"

"Take my cut of the savings, just do odd jobs around here for awhile, you know, till I can retire."

"Well, I guess you have to do what's best for your family. I wish I'd known it was coming, though."

Nars looked at her now, his eyes regretful. "I'm sorry, Karta! I don't want to do this, I mean, I _do_, but I don't want it to have to - "

"Hey, take it easy," she said calmingly. Then her voice cracked ever so slightly. "Don't get all misty-eyed on me now."

"This is really hard, Karta. I don't want to leave you like this, after everything we've been through."

She let out a long sigh, then straightened herself. "I know, buddy. But you're making the right decision. You have your family, and you need to be with them. And I've got Vhinh. I'll be fine, alright?" Looking at him, she tried to affirm this.

He only nodded absently. "I'll miss you, Karta."

She moved in and hugged him. "I'll miss you too, Nars."

"You'll come visit, still?" he asked, hopefully.

"Yeah." With that, the hug ended, and, exchanging one last knowing look, they parted ways.

Karta and Klaxen each said their good-byes to the others, then headed for the speeder taxi that had arrived to escort them back to the spaceport. Nars now held his wife and daughter, but wore a forlorn expression as he watched them leave. Karta didn't look back, though he'd hoped she would.

As they made their way to the speeder, Karta didn't see Klaxen walking beside her; she saw only a shadow in the corner of her eye, a void where Nars would have been. It didn't quite seem real. After over twenty years, seeing each other every morning, every night, now he was just _gone _- just like that. They had reached a crossroads, each taking a different path, and now the one life they had shared for so long was two separate lives.

Klaxen put a comforting arm around her shoulder. She had just lost her best friend; it was evident in her eyes, and in the tears that were now beginning to fall, tears she wouldn't shed in front of Nars. Karta didn't want him to regret his decision. She leaned her head into the crook of Klaxen's arm.

Karta hated herself for it, and though she didn't really think it, she couldn't get past the feeling that this was the first time Nars had ever let her down.

* * *

><p>It was dawn on Coruscant. The cartels had both been completely pushed off the Republic's capitol world, the sights and sounds of a raging war now replaced with those of the mad rush that the bustling megalopolis was accustomed to. In contrast, the Jedi temple there lay quiet, many of the Jedi deployed at various fronts in the war against the Tekdaemons. Grand Master Aysurii Vilaska sat alone in the council chambers in deep meditation. An incoming holocom transmission broke her trance, and she opened the frequency.<p>

"Greetings, Grand Master Vilaska," Eulian Tratzel bid, his image appearing before her. Now officially sixty-eight years old, he still appeared decades younger than his chronological age, only a few more lines in his face and a grey streak here and there.

"Supreme Commander Tratzel," she said, bowing her head ever so slightly. "And how may I serve you?" The faintest hint of annoyance resonated in her voice, which she was no doubt aware he'd picked up on.

"I'll get right to the point. I still seek to put an end to this campaign against the Hutt cartel, once and for all, Master Vilaska - and the Jedi Order's reluctance to aid in this affair is causing undue strain on my forces, drawing this campaign out years longer than it need be. I strongly urge you to reconsider your decision and join me in a unified front, so this matter can finally be brought to a close."

Though there was an unspoken subtext behind all of their words, Master Vilaska still felt the need to respond to the matter as diplomatically as possible. "Commander Tratzel, I do understand your concerns, of course, but you must realize that the Jedi are already engaged in a very involved campaign themselves. To back out now would open the Order up to retaliation from the Tekdaemons."

"Master Vilaska, with our combined efforts, the Hutts could be completely decimated within weeks, by my calculations, which would then free up my army to join in your conquest of the Tekdaemons. This is simple logic, Master Vilaska, surely you must see this - strength in _numbers_. Now imagine a galaxy with the two big cartels completely wiped out! Is this not something we both strive for, to once again create a safe environment for our citizens?" His inquisitive eyes burned into her, challenging her.

She folded her hands together, closing her eyes and bowing her head, as if gathering the energy to continue the dialogue. Tratzel was definitely a cunning individual, and there was no doubt how he had attained his current position. Wealth and intellect, especially of the magnitude Tratzel possessed, could take one far indeed. But she had foreseen a confrontation coming, and if it came down to it, a straight fight between the Jedi and Tratzel's army would be preferable to having the added dynamic of the Tekdaemons in the mix. Unfortunately, there was no diplomatic way to say this.

"You make a good case, Commander Tratzel, but, as we have both seen, each of our campaigns have proven successful. I believe patience and perseverance will be the key to ending this war in the end. To alter our tactics halfway through a winning campaign, why, even you must agree that would be an act of insanity, or negligence, to say the least." She smiled a diplomatic smile that gave away no hint of her satisfaction.

"_No_, Master Vilaska," Tratzel began, slamming his fist into his hand for emphasis, "I believe the only negligent thing would be to continue allowing a _monk _to assume the jurisdiction of a military _leader_! The Republic has seen my ability to competently lead an army, and this is why I have been given this position. With galactic security being my sole responsibility in this position, anyone, or anything that interferes with my ability to ensure this becomes a threat. I would very much hate for the Jedi Order to fall into that category, Master Vilaska.

"I had hoped we could settle this reasonably, but you leave me no choice but to make this demand: withdraw from your campaign and aid in my efforts to eliminate the Hutt cartel, or I shall seek further action, which I'm sure neither of us wishes. I am giving you twenty-four standard hours to comply, so please give this matter some _serious _consideration." His fiery gaze held strong and unwavering.

Master Vilaska said nothing, her face remaining completely unchanged, and gracefully bowed her head in acknowledgement before he cut off the transmission. She sensed this indeed would be a turning point for the state of galactic affairs, and a great darkness loomed ahead. The Order, she had no doubt, was currently on the best available path. Only how the Jedi responded to the changing events would determine how well they, and the Republic, fared. There remained much uncertainty, and they must stay vigilant throughout this ordeal.

The greatest uncertainty was of course with Tratzel and his army. If he was indeed the very thing they had speculated on, the very worst case scenario imaginable, a _Sith _lord, and if his army, as their speculation continued to grow about over time, were indeed force users, it could only mean one thing: the ultimate evil had once again been unleashed upon the galaxy, and had grown to a size unseen since the early days of the Old Republic.

* * *

><p>As they exited the shuttle, once again back at the Jedi temple on Fi'ar'la, Klaxen again had a comforting arm around Karta. She was surprised not to see Vhinh, as when she'd spoken to him over the com he'd said he would be waiting for her.<p>

"Where's your better half?" Klaxen teased, to which Karta answered with a playful, but sharp, elbow to the ribs.

Then she righted herself. "I don't know. It isn't like him to keep me waiting..." she said, only half-jokingly.

No one else was on or near the landing pad, but then their eyes caught sight of three small ships appearing off in the distant sky. As the ships grew larger, it seemed as if they were headed for the temple. Klaxen watched warily, but visibly relaxed as two of the ships took the shapes of Jedi starfighters. The third ship, larger than the other two, was one Klaxen had never seen, but as a glint of gold shone back at them, Karta took notice. As the silhouettes became larger, their details beginning to show, she did in fact recognize a familiar shape.

_Nine?_ No, it couldn't be. But as soon as she was able to make out the gear-head style crimson trim job, perfectly following the ship's sleek contours, she knew it was.

"NineHundred!" she perked up, giving Klaxen's arm a squeeze. It was short-lived, however, as she realized who wasn't here to share this moment with her, whose face she really would have liked to see at this reunion.

Was this the surprise Vhinh had spoken of? Not at all what she'd expected, but a grand and thoughtful gesture indeed. Still, it left a sad undertone, only reminding her of Nars's absence.

As the three ships touched down on the landing pad, the thrusters dying out, a Jedi emerged from each, Vhinh from the larger of the three. He had a sly look on his face, but it quickly faded as he saw Karta's complete lack of enthusiasm.

"Well, don't act so happy to see me..." he started. Then, seeing something amiss, he asked, now concerned, "Where's Nars? Is everything okay?"

Karta shrugged. "He stayed on Gli'ze'kai." It was all she had to say, and he knew. She reached her arms out to him, and he hurried to her and hugged her tightly.

After a long moment, though, he broke the hug, holding her at arm's length. "I'm sorry about Nars. Any time you want to visit, I'll arrange a safe transport." She nodded unenthusiastically.

"Listen, there's actually something else... another surprise. I know you're probably not in the mood for surprises right now, but, well, this one's pretty big, and I actually think it will cheer you up."

She looked at him, wanting to believe that there was anything that would cheer her up right now other than staying in bed for an entire day with a bottle of Correllian whiskey, and decided she'd give it a chance.

"Okay. So where is it?"

He tried to stifle an excited grin that didn't really seem appropriate at the moment. "It's on the ship. Come on," he said, backpedaling and taking her hand.

Karta followed him up NineHundred's entrance ramp, and, once aboard, a familiar voice chimed in, "Greetings, Ms. Oblith. It's wonderful to see you after all these years. And, might I say, you are looking as beautiful as ever."

She forced a weak smile. "Vhinh probably told you to say that."

"Guilty," Vhinh confessed. "But I'm sure he means it all the same."

"So, was that the surprise?" she asked, trying not to sound disappointed. She appreciated it, of course, but it would take a lot more than that to bring her out of this slump.

"Nope," he said, the sly grin coming back. "This is." He led her to the cabin area, and as soon as they'd entered, a figure appeared that had been waiting for them.

Karta gasped, instantly putting a hand over her mouth, and fresh tears now began pouring down her face.

A soft-spoken, elderly man addressed her. "Now, don't you go and make _me _cry again. Come here, my little princess!" he said, holding out his arms and starting toward her, faster than he appeared able. Tears had already begun to fill his eyes as well.

She let out a loud sob, then hurried to meet him, embracing him and burying her head in his shoulder. In between sobs, she was able to choke out a single word, muffled by his long coat. "_Daddy_!"

"Yes, my darling, I'm here," he said, stroking her hair. "Oh, I've missed you _so much_! I was so scared I would never see you again! I'm never going to let you go!" And he didn't for a long time, the two exchanging a tearful embrace, Vhinh getting weepy just watching. The old man opened his eyes only once, to shoot Vhinh a glance that embodied gratitude in every sense of the word.

When their tears had finally subsided, Karta looked to Vhinh. "But you brought him all the way here? It's not safe!"

Before Vhinh could say anything, her father answered, "Now, now, that was all my idea. Another Jedi had come to me - at least I found out later he was a Jedi - seeking to arrange a meeting with you, at some secret location or whatever. As soon as I heard they knew where you were, I demanded that they bring me to you immediately! They said they didn't want to put me at risk, and if I left with them I could never return. I said '_Where's the ship_?' There's nothing for me on Commenor anymore except painful memories, and I'm long since retired anyway."

Giving her father another firm hug, she again looked to Vhinh. "Thank you." He said nothing, only smiled.

That night, after they had had a chance to glaze over all the events of the last two plus decades, sharing a large celebratory meal, they retired, Karta's father using one of the extra rooms which Nars and Karta had stayed in during their time at the temple.

Karta lay in bed, gazing off into space, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off her chest. She turned to Vhinh. "You know, this is the best thing anyone's ever done for me. I can't even begin to say..."

He smiled warmly. "I would have done it sooner, but like you said, it _was _a risk. Now that Commenor is mostly clear, I decided it needed to happen." She put her hand on his cheek and kissed him.

"You know, on the trip here, I had the opportunity to get to know your father a little. He really is a great man."

"I know," she said proudly.

"I told him how special you are to me, how in love I am with you, and that one day I intend to marry you - provided he had no objections."

"And..." she smiled curiously. "What did he say to that?"

"Well," he said, grinning, "I believe his exact words were 'Any man that brings my daughter back to me is a good man in my book. But if you _ever _hurt her, all your Jedi powers won't save you from my wrath."

She laughed heartily. "Yeah, that's my dad."

Karta made a decision then and there. Her life had been chaotic; unpredictable. People had come and gone, and each day had been a new brush with death. If she died tomorrow, she resolved, she would die happy.

"So, are you going to ask me again?"

"Ask you what?" he inquired, a confused look on his face.

She shot him a look that said '_come on!'_. A smile spread over him, then his expression turned completely serious, and he looked deeply into her eyes.

"Karta Oblith, I love you with all my heart, and every day has been a blessing since you came into my life. Will you do me the honor of being my wife for as long as we both live?"

She looked as if she was fighting to hold in a word that had been dying to come out, and then finally gave in - and it felt amazing. "Yes."

* * *

><p>Four Hutts were gathered over a holocom transmission, initiated by Zabra. He feared the current state of affairs surrounding the Hutt cartel, and, both cartels in general, was ill-fated and beyond hope.<p>

It had been a grueling war against Tratzel's Chrome Guard, and Zabra often wondered why Tratzel had focused his efforts on the Hutts and not the Tekdaemons, or both. Tratzel had made public statements that the Hutts had been a long-standing plague on the galaxy for so long, and it was time they be put to rest. He'd said that when the Hutts fell, it would send a message to the other cartels - the other cartels meaning the Tekdaemons, Zabra could only assume, as there were few other cartels worth mentioning, and none that had achieved a fraction of the influence Zabra and Sceptaurus had - and they would soon follow. The only message Zabra was receiving, however, was that it was time to reevaluate his investments. With all eyes now on him, he opened the dialogue.

"Greetings, my brothers. No doubt you have guessed what this meeting is concerning. It is indeed a sad time for our once-legendary empire, which has now been reduced to but a shadow of its former glory. As I trust you are aware, I have poured considerable amounts of resources into this campaign, with little or no results to speak of, and have come to the conclusion that to continue down this path would be like beating a dead bantha. I fear the time has come to cut our losses and discuss the divying up of our assetts while there are still assetts to speak of."

Jazpa, Zabra's cousin, of the Viattii clan like Zabra himself, responded to the Hutt's concerns. "We have seen this coming for a while now, Zabra, and I do applaud you for being Hutt enough to know when to step down. As the big four, our investments do reflect highly on us. I do hope I don't speak out of turn, but I believe Grudo and Ylo would be agreeable to a four-way split, considering what you have done for our investment."

The other two Hutts nodded, or the Hutt equivalent of it, in agreement.

"_Twenty-five percent_? That's preposterous, after what I've done for this organization!" Zabra was already heated. "While you three have sat and watched your investments grow, I've been the one getting my hands dirty. I've..." he began, closing his eyes for a second. "I've had to make many sacrifices to further the advancement of the business."

"We've all had to make sacrifices, Zabra," Grudo, of the Despardo clan, put in. "It is all part of the business. While you were maintaining the cartel, we were maintaining our other ventures, providing capitol to continue funding your activities."

"And I've taken your capitol and increased it ten-fold - more had it not been for that scum Tratzel and his Chrome Guard!"

"Which is exactly what you were supposed to do with the investment, Zabra. The same thing we have all done with _our _investments," Ylo, a descendent of the Desilijic clan, a clan now nearly extinct after the great war with the Besadiis, retorted. "And with a larger profit margin comes greater risk. This is basic business, Zabra; something you learned as a grub."

"But my business is the slime trail of our economy, Ylo. Dare you forget that?"

"Yet we all have our place, and must place value on our collective efforts above all. This fact was lost on my ancestors, and where are they now? All but wiped out, because they couldn't learn to work together. It is an ever-changing galaxy we live in, and we must remain unified against the greater foe."

Zabra scoffed. "This 'greater foe' is destroying my empire, and all our 'unification' isn't helping matters. I'm asking for a larger cut, which I feel is deserved, plain and simple."

Jazpa stepped, or slid, in. "Zabra, make no mistake, we value all of your efforts. Your potential is what earned you a place in the big four. We consider ourselves equal partners, do we not?"

"Yes, but - ,"

Jazpa raised a hand. "Allow me to finish, Zabra. I am your cousin, and do not seek to take advantage of you in any way. When you receive your cut, do with it as you wish. With any credits you invest back into our more 'legitimate' ventures, we will grant you the same return percentage - fair and equal.

"Might I add, that with the economy on a slow uprise, there will be more opportunities, and we have already looked into acquiring land for new developments on a few systems. You will of course be given the opportunity to get in on the ground floor, Zabra. Our empire will continue to fluorish, and you will have time to move back and re-evaluate your strategies. There are indeed brighter days ahead, my friend."

Zabra seemed to ponder this. "You do speak my language, Jazpa - I'll grant you _that_." He paused for a moment longer. "Very well, then, I reluctantly agree to the four-way split. Allow me a few days to gather all of my funds and make the necessary arrangements. I will require safe haven from those who will not be receiving their next deposits, if I am to maximize our profits."

"I know of just the place," Grudo put in. "Safe and largely unheard of, and a perfect base of operations for you to get your tail wet with our ventures."

"Excellent," Zabra said. "Once the credits are available for transfer, you may escort me to this new location, and I will complete the transfer from there."

"Fair enough," Grudo agreed.

"Well, my brothers, though I regret letting go of my life's work, I do look forward to this new dynamic, and many more years of kinship and profit. We will speak again soon."

The other Hutts acknowledged him, and the transmission ended. Zabra was already contemplating ways to get the better of his brethren through this whole arrangement. He couldn't hide funds from them, because they all had records of each other's accounts. Zabra of course had a stack of cash credits set aside, but nothing to brag about. It would take some thought, but he would work it out. His time as the top Hutt in the galaxy was far from over.


	3. Chapter 3

**-3-**

* * *

><p>As Jhanopellis held a blaster trained on a former associate and his family, terrified and cowering against the wall of their luxury apartment, he questioned the path he had taken that had brought him to this.<p>

He had killed in cold blood before - rival gang members who'd crossed him, questionable characters who owed his organization credits, and so on - but never anything like this. This execution had been deemed necessary; a retaliation for a suspected informant leading to the last big bust, which had ended up costing the organization millions of credits in addition to the incarceration of some of their top associates.

When Jhan had fallen in with the Tekdaemons, he'd worked hard to move up quickly among the ranks, keeping his hands as clean as possible. Formerly a successful bounty hunter, he had cut a deal with a suspect he'd apprehended, who had said that with his talents Jhan could do very well in the organization, and had offered him a job on the spot. Jhan had sensed no deception in the individual, and had actually thought it over.

He'd seen it as a way to infiltrate the Tekdaemon organization, learning their secrets and causing its collapse from the inside. It had been a tough decision, but after weighing his options, he decided he could in the end make more of an impact going this route than simply picking them off one by one as a bounty hunter.

He had not been prepared for this eventuality, though, even knowing that some day he would be faced with such a situation. As he looked into the faces of the four individuals who he had the power to end right then and there, he thought back to his short-lived reunion with Edala. She had not been happy about the path he had chosen - and with good reason.

But what would she think of him now? And could he live with that? Did all the secrets he had learned, much more than he'd shared with Edala in that moment - locations of top members, underground operations and the like - with all the potential magnitude of this information if used correctly, did it outweigh all the bits and pieces of himself that he'd lost along the way?

The answer to his question came in the form of blaster fire, as he quickly spun around, taking out one, then another, and then a third of his unsuspecting Tekdaemon associates before they could even react. Motioning to the family, practically shoving them into an adjacent hallway, he quickly leapt and ducked behind a large durasteel table, tipping it on its side before the inevitable flurry of responding blaster fire came his way, cutting the contents of the apartment to shambles, kicking up dust and debris everywhere.

With the help of his Jedi senses, which he still practiced with every free moment, he had a clear picture of where each of the remaining six Tekdaemons were in the room. Timing each bolt and its given trajectory, he was able to capitalize on a split-second window that allowed him to peek out from behind the table just long enough to deal a killing shot to a fourth gunman.

The others, now wise to his lethal potential, began spreading out and closing in on him, taking cover wherever available. One had a miniature nanote bomb, which he tossed past the table in Jhan's direction. Drawing a sharp breath as soon as he heard the clink of the bomb on the hard floor, the powerful gas now slowly flowing out of the tiny container, he gave the table a hard kick, sending it careening into two of the Tekdaemons, and quickly slid into the next room.

Doing a quick scan of the room, he was relieved to find a large window, and without hesitation rushed to it, working it open. The others right on his tail, he blindly leapt out just as several more blaster bolts whizzed past him.

Now in freefall, he eased his descent toward a single incoming speeder, managing to latch on to the rear bumper as it roared by. Pulling himself up and crawling in the back seat of the open-top speeder, he realized he'd landed in a speeder taxi, and was greeted by a friendly robotic voice.

"Hello, sir. Where to?" asked the driver, paying no mind to how Jhan had gotten there in the first place.

"Uh, anywhere away from here," he concluded. "And _step _on it!"

Too late, though, as a wave of Tekdaemons on speeder bikes had already arrived on the scene - the same that would have been his backup had things gone awry back at the apartment. One thing about the Tekdaemons - they were always quick to respond.

Blaster bolts pounded the cab, and the droid driver, having already opened up the throttle on the vehicle, continued guiding it with one hand while taking out a blaster of its own and firing back at the group. Whoever owned this particular service had apparently taken a few extra security measures.

Even so, the droid's aim was less than accurate at range, probably not programmed to deal with high speed chases of this sort. It served as supplementary fire for Jhan, though, who already had his own weapon drawn and active, met with much more success.

Managing to take out two of the riders, he cursed to himself when three successive shots pelted his droid chauffer, ending its career in a burst of smoke and spare parts. The cab lurched forward, beginning its gradual descent toward the city hundreds of feet below, and Jhan quickly climbed into the front seat, hefting the droid over the side with a grunt of exertion, then took the controls.

But the Tekdaemons were already re-focusing their fire on to the speeder, pummeling it with bolt after bolt and ripping through its almost non-existent armor. Plumes of smoke rose from all around the cab, and Jhan knew it wouldn't stand up long to this onslaught. Looking to all sides, he discovered to his dismay that they'd entered a different sector, high-rise buildings no more and traffic sparse. With nothing but air surrounding him, if he went down, he would be in a very bad spot.

Performing a few evasive maneuvers, he managed to avoid some of the fire, but not all of it, and soon the smoke thickened, now black, flames crawling up the sides of the speeder. A couple more shots and that was it. Resigned to his fate, he gave himself over to the Force, an ally who had never let him down before. If he were to survive this, it would be the will of the Force, and if not, it would be his own failure.

Leaping from the speeder just before it went up in a burst of fire, he let his arms fall to his sides, closed his eyes and embraced his surroundings. His body pivoted and swayed from the current rushing up at him, but he remained calm and focused. The Tekdaemons, seeing him plummeting to certain death, relented in their pursuit and headed back to regroup.

As Jhan's concentration grew, the surrounding blackness in his mind slowly gave way to the faint glows of the landscape below and its contours. Finding his position within the Force among the blackness, he turned all his energy toward directing the midichlorians to envelop him, gathering into an expanding pillow below, gently pushing upward in sync with the opposing gravity of his fall. The once-intense gravitational pull he'd felt only seconds before slowly began to give way, and he could feel his body riding the supporting midichlorians in a slow decent, floating toward the surface of the planet at a comfortable pace.

When he saw his position in the Force converging with that of the ground below, he opened his eyes to see if he'd only imagined it. And as quickly as he did, his body, now laying parallel to the ground only a few feet below him, was released from the grip of the midichlorians, sending him falling the remainder of the way and landing with a hard thud on his backside.

"Ow!" he uttered in annoyance, but was relieved to be alive.

* * *

><p>Karta, never one for large, formal ceremonies, and Vhinh, having already obtained the blessing of the Order in his desired engagement to her, both decided not to wait to make their union official. There was still a war going on around them, which they both played instrumental roles in, so they would be joined at the temple under the Jedi code, have a quick celebration, followed by their first night as a married couple, and then first thing the next morning it would be off to return to the battlefront.<p>

So they had gone to bed, barely getting any sleep, and awoken before the crack of dawn, too excited to care how tired they were. Master Ytalha, now the most senior master at the temple in Fi'ar'la following Master Herrod's passing, agreed to marry the two.

As Karta prepared herself, despite Vhinh's protests that it would be impossible for anyone to look more beautiful than she already did, a wave of sadness hit her when she realized Nars wouldn't be there to witness her wedding like she had always expected - like she had been for _his _wedding. Reminding herself that her father, who she was still overjoyed at being reunited with, would indeed bear witness, she was able to quickly bring herself out of the slump, though the sad undertone remained, and probably would for awhile.

Her father had been surprised by the sudden decision, but elated that he would be able to attend the ceremony. They had shared a quick breakfast together, during which he informed her that his stay at the temple would only be temporary. Upon his request, the Jedi would be helping him relocate to another dwelling, on Fi'ar'la, of course, so he could remain close to his daughter. He didn't like being a transient, as he put it, preferring to provide his own room and board.

When the time came for their official binding, Karta, arm in arm with her father, scanned the faces of Jedi and padawan gathered at the temple's main hall for the last-minute occasion as they made their way down the corridor. Klaxen was there, Edala was there, as well as a few of the others she'd come to know over the years. Only one face was missing, but she wouldn't think about that right now.

Vhinh, emerging from an opposite corridor, made his way to meet her in the center of the main hall in front of Master Ytalha. Neither wore any special apparel, only the normal clothes they had on-hand, but each was immaculately groomed, Karta wearing her hair up in a tightly braided bun, a few flowing strands falling at the sides, and Vhinh with his hair tied back and beard neatly trimmed.

Master Ytalha then instructed them to face the group. They did, and he began the proceedings. "Let all who witness this event - "

He paused as the sound of starship thrusters could be heard from the outside, steadily growing louder, before finally stabilizing, apparently having descended upon the temple's landing pad. After a minute, the thrusters died out, leaving only silence. Master Ytalha waited another moment, then continued.

"Let all who witness this event - "

Just then, the main door of the temple opened, and in walked a familiar face.

"Sorry I'm late," said Nars Free'ta, timidly strolling in to join the crowd. Karta's face lit up, and she flashed a knowing smile at Vhinh, who responded in kind.

Master Ytalha calmly waited as Nars made his way in, cleared his throat, then continued. "Let all who witness this event grant their blessing, for this is an all-encompassing union, a union under the Force itself, which is part of each and every one of us. If any present today feel this union to be misrepresenting of that in any way, let them speak now."

He searched the faces in the room, then went on. "The bonds of matrimony have not always been recognized under the Jedi code. We, today, however, believe that if one is to love, one will love. It is instead our objective to allow and seek to help those who love to share this connection in its true form, the way we are shown by listening to the Force around us. These two individuals, I myself have known for eleven years, and much _longer _- still only an eyeblink in the life of the galaxy, but long enough to be confident in my belief that they know and understand love in this way.

"May I have you face each other, please?" The two turned to face each other, gazing into each other's eyes as if in awe.

Master Ytalha turned to Vhinh. "Jedi Master Vhinh Skywalker, I ask you, do you promise to always honor the Jedi Order and its beliefs, living by those beliefs and continually seeking to enhance your own life as well as the lives of those around you through those beliefs?"

"I do," Vhinh replied.

He then turned to Karta. "Ms. Karta Oblith, I now ask you, do you promise to always honor the Jedi Order and its beliefs, living by those beliefs and continually seeking to enhance your own life as well as the lives of those around you through those beliefs?"

"I do," Karta replied. Having thought about it during Vhinh's confirmation, she decided that from as much as she understood, she was in compliance with those beliefs.

Master Ytalha continued, "May I have you now join hands?" They did. "These two individuals have pledged their recognition of the Order, and the Order will therefore recognize their binding under its code. In order to solidify this union, I will need you both to respond to my next questions.

"Jedi Master Vhinh Skywalker and Ms. Karta Oblith, you are about to enter into a union under the Jedi code, recognized by the Order and a vessel of the Force itself. It is through this union that each of you has come to believe you will reach your full potential within this physical existence. However, you must be aware that this alone will not complete you; only the continued practice and upholding of the beliefs you share, and the love you share for each other, will take you to this higher plane, to eventually become one with each other as well as the Force."

Though they didn't see it, a tear fell from each of Nars's eyes.

"Now, I ask you both, do you pledge to put love above passion, passion above apathy, and truth above all else, in each other as well as yourselves?"

"I do," they said simultaneously.

"And do you pledge to always lead each other away from darkness and into light, to fight every battle together and not against each other, and to lay down your arms in times of peace?"

"I do," they replied.

"And do you pledge to continually learn about and further your understanding of each other, as well as yourselves, to nurture and respond to that understanding, and to seek unity of mind in every venture either of you shall embark upon?"

"I do."

"Then by the standards and beliefs laid before us within the Jedi code and recognized by the Order, I pronounce you husband and wife. May the Force always be with you, in this life and beyond."

They stared gleefully into each other's eyes, then looked again to Master Ytalha.

"I believe a kiss would be appropriate," he urged, an amused smile on his face.

And so they did, sharing a long, exuberant kiss, and the room erupted in cheers.

In moments, the celebration was in full swing, with Karta and Vhinh sharing a dance. Next she danced with her father, then Nars, finally everyone gathering into a large circle and dancing together. They sang old folk songs, laughed and drank fine champagne from Naboo to commemorate the occasion.

When the festivities had peaked, though, another unexpected guest appeared, which caused half the party to stop in their tracks. Edala, hiding a half smile, slunk away into the crowd, glad he had at least made the right decision.

"Who is that?" Karta asked, seeing Vhinh's reaction, as if he'd seen a ghost.

"That's my old padawan," he said, almost in disbelief. Then he turned to her. "Will you give me a moment?"

"Well, I suppose, since I have you for the rest of my life, now," she half-heartedly jested.

He gave her a quick peck on the lips, placing his hand softly on her cheek, then started toward his former pupil.

"Jhanopellis Udo," he said, shaking his head. "This is certainly a surprise. I feared I would never lay eyes on you again."

"Master, I mean, uh, Master Skywalker," he stammered, giving a rigid bow, too formal for those once so close.

"There's no need for that, Jhan," Vhinh said, taking a step toward him. He gathered the boy's head with one hand and drew him into a tight embrace. "It's good to see you again."

"Likewise, Master."

Then, facing him again, Vhinh said, "We have a lot to catch up on." He motioned for Jhan to follow him. "Come on."

He led Jhan to a stone bench outside the temple surrounded by foliage. "Have a seat," he instructed, and Jhan complied.

"Before you say anything, Master, I just want to tell you how sorry I am for everything - the way I left, just..." he paused, not knowing how to finish. "Everything," he said, lowering his head.

"I knew you were in a bad place then, Jhan. Had I known just how bad, I would have been more vigilant. I often blame myself for your departure."

Jhan shook his head. "_No_, you weren't the one to blame. You never failed me, Master. It was my own failure, my own shortsightedness. I thought I could make more of a difference somewhere else."

Vhinh studied him. "So, what have you been doing all this time?"

Jhan told him about his years as a bounty hunter, then his falling in with the Tekdaemons, which Vhinh seemed none too pleased about, and didn't try to hide that fact.

"I've done things, Master. _Bad _things - things no Jedi should do. I thought I was doing it for the right reasons, thought the end would justify the means, but - I'm not so sure anymore." He still couldn't look his former Master in the eye.

"Oh, Jhan," Vhinh said, disappointment filling his voice. They were both silent for a long moment, then Vhinh spoke again.

"You know, it's sadly ironic. You left something which you felt failed the very ideals it was trying to uphold, then became part of something against those very ideals, hoping to preserve them. I do believe your intentions were pure, Jhan. I have to ask, though - did you accomplish what you set out to?"

Jhan told him of the information he'd obtained during his time spent in close proximity with the Tekdaemons' elite members. "I planned on taking it further, Master, but I couldn't go through with it."

"I'm glad you didn't, Jhan. Though the information will be of great use to us, I'm not sure if I can condone your methods."

"I know."

It seemed neither knew what to say next, until Jhan, as if somewhere else, added, "I still have it." He took out the lightsaber he'd crafted as a padawan. "I've tried to keep up with my training, whenever I can. I've improved - but I'm nowhere near where I would have been under your guidance."

"When we try to walk a path alone, it's much easier to become lost," Vhinh said with a mindful look. His words clearly epitomized Jhan's life away from the temple. The boy nodded knowingly.

"So what do you plan to do now?" Vhinh asked him.

"I don't know. I realize it's too late for me with the Order, but I still want to help in any way I can."

Vhinh looked thoughtful. "You know, it would be hypocritical of me if I didn't believe in second chances, Jhan. I could talk to the council about allowing you to return - as a _padawan_, of course. You were our best student before you left, and I _am _on the council, so my opinion would be heard. You would, of course, need to answer some very hard questions about your time away. Is that something you would be prepared to do?"

Jhan looked at him with conviction. "I'll do anything you ask of me, Master. I won't let you down again."

Vhinh put a hand on his shoulder. "_That's _the boy I remember." He then rose to his feet. "Right now, though, there's someone I'd really like you to meet - and I'm sure there's someone else you're dying to see." He raised an eyebrow, and Jhan gave a weak smile.

Not even realizing that he'd walked into Vhinh's wedding reception, Jhan congratulated him. He was introduced to Karta, who Vhinh promised Jhan would grow to love as much as he did himself. Vhinh then suggested he'd better catch up with Edala, as he knew she would be expecting to see him. Jhan hadn't mentioned their chance meeting a few days prior.

He found her alone, under an old Kibuii tree, looking as if lost in thought. Her back to him, she spoke when he approached. "So, did you tell him about the other day?"

"No, I figured I'd leave that up to you."

She exhaled. "Wish I could say I was realieved. Now I have to be the one to bring it up with him."

Jhan waved his hand dismissively. "He'll get over it. He always liked you, you know." Edala didn't say anything, so Jhan tried to open the dialogue.

"Remember when we used to play under this tree as younglings?"

"That was a long time ago," she said, her words offering little reciprocation.

"Hey - ," he began, gently pulling her shoulder to him, urging her to look his direction, which she reluctantly did. "Dal, I can't even begin to tell you how sorry I am for leaving you like that. There were so many nights when I lay awake racked with guilt over it. It was the hardest thing I've ever done, and after everything I've learned, after everything I've been through, I now think it was the biggest mistake I've ever made."

She looked at him coldly. "_I_ could've told you _that_, Jhan - eleven _years_ ago, if you'd bothered to _ask_." She then turned away from him. "I know the history; I'm aware of what was going on at that time, and Master Skywalker told me about your deployment."

He didn't say anything, knowing she had much more to say. She turned again to face him. "It was a really _tough_ break, Jhan, I _get _that. But why couldn't you just suck it up? That's what Jedi are supposed to do, when faced with adversity. You of all people should know that - I thought you were _better _than that!"

"I was a _stupid kid_! And I'd spent all my life training to fight for our cause, only to find that it had been lost! I thought I could make more of a difference somewhere else..." he stopped, knowing now how shallow and meaningless his words sounded.

"Well, I hope it was _worth _it, Jhan, because you haven't been a kid for a long time, and you _still _never came back, until now."

He hung his head. "I know, and I regret that." Then he met her eyes again. "But I accomplished things, you know. I got information - _privileged _information, that we can _use_. I had big plans, I - " He shook his head, at an impasse. _Yes_, he had gotten results, but at what cost? This very question he'd been struggling with himself. Then, he admitted something that he'd only recently come to terms with.

"I was scared. When that stuff happened, before I left the temple, for the first time in my life I didn't know what to do. Things didn't make sense, and all my training didn't provide me with an answer - so I ran. And then, when I realized what I'd done, I was scared to come back - scared to face the Order - scared to face _you_. So I immersed myself in this other world, and at times I even felt like part of it. I did it to forget, to try to trick myself. That only made it worse."

He bowed his head shamefully. "I've _done _things, Dal. Things I'm not proud of."

She didn't flinch. "You know what, Jhan? I really don't care what you did all those years. Do you want to know what I care about? The way you _left_."

He nodded his understanding. They both just stood there for awhile, going over how things had taken a wrong turn, how everything had changed that day, and how they could have been different.

He then looked at her deeply. "There's something else I have to tell you. I know, given the circumstances, it's probably not what you want to hear, but I need to say it."

"_What_?" she said, looking impatient.

"I don't know exactly when it happened - maybe it was always there. But sometime before I left, I started feeling differently about you; more intensely. After I had left, these feelings kept growing stronger, when I would think of you. I missed you so _much_. I eventually began telling myself it was just my guilt projecting this feeling, making me think it was something it wasn't. But when I saw you again, it all came back, and it hit me like a ton of durasteel. I'm in _love _with you, Dal."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, a hint of anger in her voice.

"Because no matter what happens, I want you to know how much you mean to me - _exactly_ what you mean to me."

She shook her head. "You know, when we were growing up, I thought things would change between us one day. It wasn't something I feared, and it wasn't something I looked forward to - it was just something I knew and accepted. I probably always had those feelings, too. But that boy I knew left, and this man standing before me is someone I don't know."

He shook his head. He wanted to grab her, shake her, saying '_It's me, Jhan - it's always been me!'._ But he couldn't - because her words rang true - he _was _someone else. He'd betrayed himself that day, and every day since; what else could he expect?

"Why couldn't you have at least _told_ me?" Her voice cracked, and she began trembling, as if all the feelings she'd held in for all those years could no longer be contained. Tears began streaming down her face. "Didn't I _deserve _that much, Jhan? We told each other _everything_, but the _one _time when it mattered most, you just tossed me aside, no good-bye, no _anything_! Do you have any idea what that _did _to me?"

He only stared at her, his eyes now glassy, his face remorseful. He _wanted _to hurt right now. If he could take all she was feeling upon himself, somehow ease her pain, he'd have done in it in a heartbeat. But even the Force couldn't help him now.

"If I lived a thousand lifetimes, I would still regret that. The biggest mistake I ever made wasn't leaving the temple - it was leaving _you_." This, coming from a student once so dedicated, spoke volumes. "Everything else would have fallen in to place, but you were the one thing that held me together. I'll never live that down."

Wiping away a tear, she righted herself. "Well, I guess there's no use dwelling on it now - what's done is done." She took in a deep breath, then exhaled, as if letting go of a previous life. After a long silence, she concluded with, "I suppose I'll see you around."

With that, she turned back toward the temple, leaving him there to himself after his big confession; leaving him with nothing.

_Just like I did to her_, he thought.

* * *

><p>Entering the atmosphere of Coruscant, bound for the Jedi temple with her returning fleet, Raha Dima saw one lone ship headed in the same general direction. <em>One of Tratzel's Guard,<em> she thought. No doubt to join up with the rest of his friends. They probably found another Hutt installation somewhere, and they're about to take it down.

While the Jedi and the Chrome Guard fought for similar causes, Raha didn't approve of the Guard's methods. Where the Jedi were passive, killing sparingly, and only when left with no other options, taking prisoners whenever possible, the Guard were ruthless, tearing through entire armies and leaving no survivors. The Jedi were once heavily criticized for similar actions, yet the Republic supported Tratzel nonetheless. Tratzel's army was definitely effective - there was no arguing that point. And obviously the Republic was more concerned with results at this point, after a long period of decline at the hands of the cartels.

Suddenly, seemingly out of nowhere, the Chrome Guard's ship erupted in a ball of flame. Looking on in shock, she could barely make out the shape of a figure careening from where the cockpit had been, plummeting to the city below. What had struck him? There were no other craft anywhere in the vicinity. A stray piece of debris? At the speed it was going, it would take more than that to explode a small ship like one of the Chrome fighters.

"Hey, guys, we got a downed ship over the city, possible survivor - though highly unlikely. I'm going down to check it out. I'll meet up with you at the temple," she said over her ship's com channel.

"Roger that, Dima. Be careful," was the response.

Swooping down in the general direction of where the figure had fallen, she carefully scanned the area. It would be a shot in the dark, finding this fallen chrome guard. Had he fallen all the way down to the dark underbelly of the city, he'd be as good as dead, and any remains would be quickly picked away before she could reach him, by the many descendants of the no longer human inhabitants that had dwelled within for many millennia.

Locating the area where she'd last seen him before he disappeared into the jungle of buildings, she began making ever-larger circles around the perimeter, dropping altitude with each lap.

Then, as if by some act of the Force, her eyes fell upon a lone figure, splayed over the edge of one of upper Coruscant's many walkways. The figure was not moving. As she brought her ship down, she kicked on the repulsors, guiding the craft to hover next to the walkway. The ship's hatch opened, and she jumped out, hurrying to the downed guard.

His body was twisted and contorted into an unnatural position and part of him lay hanging over the edge of the walkway. Even if he survived, he would have a mess of broken bones and internal bleeding - the best med droids may not even be able to save him.

She heard faint sounds coming from behind his mask; he was still _alive_! Quickly, she got on her com and sent for a med unit to come to the scene. Then, careful not to jar his mangled body, she slowly removed his mask. As soon as she did, his shallow breathing intensified, coming out as gasps, and he became frantic.

"No... can't breathe... need... mask..." came his gasping plea. The face of the man, though bloodied, looked strangely familiar. Judging from the sights and sounds of his chest slowly rising and falling, though labored, his breathing seemed fine. He was humanoid, after all. But, as his protests grew more insistent, she decided it best not to upset him further, so she put the mask back on.

"Can you hear me?" she asked the guard.

He gave a wheezing "Yes." He was very likely paralyzed from the fall, unable to even nod his head.

"What happened? Was your ship shot down?"

"Mal...function..."

This was actually the closest she had been to one of Tratzel's Chrome Guard. Only a Jedi Knight herself, not having the attuned senses of her masters, she could still sense the Force emmanating from this man. And there was something else, as well... something that she couldn't decipher.

Raha was not eager to say what she had to next, but she knew she must.

"Listen, there is a very big chance that you may not make it. I need you to tell me the names of your next of kin so that I may notify them. The med droids will be here shortly, and they will do all they can, but we must prepare for the worst."

After a few shallow breaths, the guard struggled to push out more syllables between his wheezing. "Jel... and... Ila... Katak... of... Tantos."

"What's your name?" she asked, knowing it was very likely classified, but sensing that the guard himself realized he was dying and no longer cared. She found herself feeling overwhelming compassion for this man, after seeing a hint of the humanity behind the cruel facade of the mask.

"Ri..." he strained. "Ri..." He wheezed again, trying to choke out another syllable. Then the wheezing stopped, and he was silent.

The med unit arrived, too late to even attempt to save him. Removing his mask, Raha slid her fingers over his eyelids to close his eyes one last time.

"Get him cleaned up," she ordered one of the droids as they emerged from their shuttle. "Then I need a full body scan - and check him for any kind of identification."

Once she received the data from the scan, she would run it through the archive database. Though she disliked breaking official protocol, especially when a death was involved, she knew the Order had uneasy relations with Tratzel, and any information they might be able to obtain about his operations would be valuable.

Watching the guard's lifeless body being hauled into the med shuttle by the droids, she saw him off, hoping that his spirit would rest at ease. Whoever this man was, she would find out. Even if he did serve a questionable greater power, she had seen humanity in those eyes. She would make sure his death was not in vain.

* * *

><p>"And now the house recognizes our next speaker, Supreme Commander of the Army of the Republic, Eulian Tratzel," Chief of State Felderai announced at the most recent session of the Galactic Senate.<p>

"Thank you, Chief of State Felderai," Tratzel acknowledged. "The matter I come to address today is one concerning the Jedi Order. I have no doubt that many of you share in my growing skepticism of their methods and purpose with the Republic. Recognized as guardians of the Republic for a over a thousand generations, it has long been taken for granted that this was their place in the galaxy. But when viewed from a completely objective point of view, their entire history is dotted with uncertainty.

"Have not countless renegade Jedi done unspeakable damage to our systems, over the course of their existence? It seems to be an ongoing pattern, yet we do nothing. Each time another of these Jedi is brought to justice, they once again become our heroes and protectors. Yet we pay no mind to the fact that it is this very order that is the root of this evil in the first place.

"Now, I call attention to our current state of affairs. After a solid record of years of failure, mindless slaughter, and innocent lives lost, the Jedi seem to have now removed themselves from Republic jurisdiction, taking it upon themselves to declare a long and brutal war against the Tekdaemon cartel. While on the surface, the progress of this campaign would seem to bring favor back to the Jedi, we must not overlook the much larger issue.

"I, myself, as Supreme Commander of the Army of the Republic, have been tasked with ensuring galactic security. No small task, but I think you will agree that my successes indeed speak for themselves. However, the Jedi Order's self-governing ways are costing my army, and the Republic, much wasted time, energy, credits, and casualties with their blatant refusal to aid in our greater cause. I seek to end this war, yet they refuse to cooperate, spreading our forces thinly across the galaxy, rather than joining mine in one unified front.

"The more dire issue, though, is their indifference to my objectives, and, in fact, the Republic itself. We have seen what this leads to, and for our own safety and security I feel we must take immediate action before this problem becomes too large to control. I regret that I feel it is our only choice to declare the Jedi an enemy of the Republic."

An awed stir could be heard across the House of the Senate.

Tratzel continued. "Only then can I bring absolute security and peace to the Republic once and for all, ushering it into a new age of stability and prosperity, without the ever-present threat of the Jedi Order looming at every horizon."

The stir quieted, and Chief of State Felderai spoke. "Commander Tratzel, I think I speak for everyone here when I say we have only the greatest appreciation for what you've accomplished in the way of galactic security, and indeed recognize your achievements leading the Army of the Republic. But to declare the Order an enemy of the Republic? This is absurd, to say the least.

"Yes, we have seen the damage a few fallen Jedi have done throughout the ages, but it is the Sith who are the enemy, and the Order has always risen up to defend us from their devastation. It is my belief, among others, I'm sure, that without the Order, this evil would still exist - and without the Order's protection, the Republic would quickly fall to their advances."

He paused, then put in, almost confrontationally, "Even if there _were _any truth to your words, Commander Tratzel, the Jedi are far too powerful to declare war against!"

"My army is growing every day, Chief of State Felderai. Once I have taken down the Hutt cartel, more of my men will be freed up to pursue larger matters. I suggest cutting funding for the Order, asking the Jedi to step aside voluntarily. If they refuse, we prepare for the next step."

"For one thing, Commander Tratzel, the Order is largely self-sufficient, working with minimal resources as it is. We supply them with ships, and their temples have been funded by a combination of tax credits and private donations. Not to mention, they are a huge assett to the Republic. I don't understand why you refuse to see this. In fact, I won't even entertain such ideas any longer. Perhaps you should be focusing on the task at hand, rather than making war where there is no need. I have nothing else to say on the matter," he concluded, now obviously heated.

"Then perhaps we should put it to a vote, Chief of State," Tratzel retorted defiantly.

Chief of State Felderai looked at him incredulously for a long moment, then finally cleared his throat. "Very well, then, if it will bring this dialogue to a close, let us put it to a vote. The House will be voting on Commander Tratzel's proposition to declare the Jedi Order an enemy of the Republic," he said with an aloof tone. It was obvious that at this point he was only going through the motions, bound by protocol and his duty to the Senate.

"A fifty-plus-one percent vote in favor will lend validity to the issue and open it up to further talks and legislation. Let the voting proceed."

The members of the house brought out their datapads, each entering their vote. When every vote had been received, the results appeared on the large holo in the center of the room.

Twenty-seven percent in favor. Much more than any would have expected - but democracy could not be bought that easily.

Chief of State Felderai was actually taken aback at the results, then straightened. "I thank the House for their votes, and let that put this matter to a close. Now, on to further business...,"

"Just a moment, Chief of State," Tratzel cut in. "I didn't get _my _vote."

Chief of State Felderai was now visibly fuming. "What are you _talking _about - "

Just then, thousands of Chrome Guard began pouring into the House of the Senate, climbing, leaping, infiltrating every podium, amid gasps of shock and fear, until a vibro-sword was trained on each and every member of the House, including the Chief of State.

"What _is _this, Tratzel," the Chief of State began, "some kind of _sick joke?!_"

Tratzel beamed. "No joke, Felderai. More like a regime change."

"A _regime change? _Have you gone _mad_, Tratzel?!"

"I'll ask the questions from now on, Felderai." He then turned to address the rest of the House. "You are all about to bear witness to a momentous occasion." His booming voice now echoed throughout the House.

"It seems that many of you are not yet ready to do what is necessary to revitalize this dying system and bring about a new Golden Age. But throughout history there has always been resistance, and in the end it only serves to strengthen us and our resolve.

"What this government needs is a leader, one with the fortitude to carry out these necessary steps, the intelligence to recognize what needs to be done, and the resources to make it possible. My great army will oppose any force that stands between us and our goals, and we shall be victorious.

"Forget this mindless beaurocracy that is the Republic. We need _action_, not endless discussion! As the only man in the galaxy with the clout to make this happen, I hereby name this the new _Galactic Empire_, and I, your new _Emperor_!"

Discord spread throughout the House.

"You really _are _mad! You have no authority to do this! The Republic will never recognize an _emperor_, Tratzel!" Chief of State Felderai raged.

"Not Emperor _Tratzel_, Felderai. Emperor... _Darth Sceptaurus_." A wicked smile spread across his lips. "And my authority is that of the _leader _of the next great _Sith Empire_."

Panicked murmurs could be heard from all around the huge room.

"Now, I bid you all, _bow _to your new Emperor." He raised his arms in a grand gesture.

"We will _never _bow to you, Tratzel!" Chief of State Felderai asserted, though his composure was now giving way.

The members of the House, unsure of what to do, remained meekly standing, save for a few, who already demonstrated their fearful submission. Perhaps they were the smart ones.

"Well, then..." he said, glaring menacingly at the Chief of State. "As my first order of business as your new emperor, I find _former _Chief of State Felderai guilty of _treason_! The punishment: _execution_."

Without another word, two chrome guard at Felderai's side grabbed him roughly, forcing him to his knees. One continued to restrain him, while the other removed his vibro-sword from its sheath, raised it high...

And struck a blow that would be felt throughout the galaxy. Chief of State Felderai's disembodied head rolled off his podium to the floor far below, and his now-lifeless body crumpled at the guards' feet.

"And now, citizens of the Empire - bow to your new emperor," he said precisely. "_BOW!" _His voice now seemed to shake the entire house, and the room briefly darkened under the weight of his command.

The members of the House began quickly kneeling, almost reflexively. The few, strong-willed individuals who hesitated or defied were physically forced, until every set of eyes in the room were trained on the floor, save for Darth Sceptaurus and his guard.

He looked on with great satisfaction at the room, only moments before filled with bright-eyed, ambitious individuals, now beaten down and resigned. And all he could do was smile.


	4. Chapter 4

**-4-**

* * *

><p>It was now just after dawn on Fi'ar'la, and the temple lay quiet after the joyous reception the night before. Vhinh and Karta, now husband and wife, escorted Karta's father to the launch pad to see him off. He would be relocated to a new, secure location on Fi'ar'la, not too far from the temple, so that he could remain close with the daughter he had just been reunited with. After a couple lighthearted threats that Vhinh better take good care of his daughter, he and Karta exchanged a long embrace.<p>

"I'll be close by, sweetheart. You can come visit me any time, day or night. My door is always open," he said as he gave her one last look.

"I know, daddy," she said, then added, "I'm so glad you're back."

"I'm glad _you're _back," he said.

With a nod to Vhinh, and one last wave, he started up the shuttle's entrance ramp, followed by two Jedi. They watched as the ship's thrusters fired up and rocketed it away from the temple, across the landscape of Fi'ar'la until it was only a tiny dot.

Vhinh put a comforting arm around her, and she sunk into him. They were both exhausted from the reception last night, having already had little sleep the night before, not to mention from their wedding night back in their quarters.

"I wish we could just go back to bed for the rest of the day," she said.

He kissed the top of her head. "I know. But we'll have plenty of time for sleep when all this is over."

"Who said anything about _sleep_?" she said, jokingly.

He gave her a mischievous look. "Oh, wasn't last night enough? Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be able to steal a moment here and there."

"If you're _lucky, _Jedi," she said with a lopsided grin.

"I'm the luckiest Jedi in the galaxy right now." With that, he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately.

When the kiss ended, she said, "Don't ever forget that and we'll be in good shape," which made him laugh a little.

"Well, I suppose I should wake up the lazy one," she said with a sigh.

The lazy one in question, better known as Nars Free'ta, drunk on wine and cheer, had been instructed to spend the night in his former room rather than return to Gli'ze'kai' that night, which he had tried to do. Not that NineHundred wasn't apt to ensure his safe transport in his inebriated state, but he would need an escort anyway to return his rented shuttle.

After the ceremony, Vhinh and Karta had pulled him aside and surprised him with NineHundred, and he'd been so happy he wanted to fly it on the spot, but didn't want to leave the reception.

A few drinks later, he had thought it would be a good idea to take a scenic tour around Fi'ar'la, but nobody else seemed to agree.

"Who is it? What's going on?" came his jarred-awake voice from the speaker of his room's com.

"Get your lazy tail up, ya bum!" she said teasingly.

"Oh, hey Karta..." A long, drawn-out yawn could be heard over the com. "Gimme a sec, I'll be out," he said through the yawn.

When he emerged from the room, now more collected, they made their way back to the temple's launch pad.

"Funny how things change so quickly, huh?" he reflected.

"Yeah, story of my life," Karta muttered. Then she perked up. "It's not all bad, though." She smiled at him, and he smiled back.

"Yeah. Hey, I'm really happy for you guys, seriously. You deserve each other."

"Well, he deserves _me_, at least. He's been very persistent."

"Come on, Karta. He knows how lucky he is. And it's not everyone who can make a Jedi all googly-eyed like he gets when he's around you."

"Well, I suppose that's a good thing," she said. Then she became more serious. "Hey, it really means a lot to me that you came back for this. And I..."

"What?" he asked.

"I feel bad about the way we left things. I was a little hurt when you said you weren't coming back with me, and maybe a little angry, too." She put an arm on his shoulder and turned him to face her. "But you made the right decision, okay? And I got _over _it - I just wasn't expecting it."

"Yeah, I know, Karta, I wasn't either, and I felt really bad about springing that on you like that."

"Hey, sometimes when you know what you have to do, it just hits you like it did. No amount of planning can change that."

"Yeah, that was kinda what happened, I guess," he said.

"Well, look, you better get your butt back to that family of yours, because stars know they've been really patient. And tell my little niece that I'll have a surprise for her next time I see her!"

"Will do," he grinned. Then they moved in for a hug.

"Love ya, kid," he said.

"Love you too, buddy," she replied.

When they reached the launch pad, they'd already said their good-byes, and Vhinh and Master Ytalha stood waiting. Master Ytalha offered his hand to Nars.

"Mr. Free'ta," he bowed his head slightly, "thank you for your service, and send my best wishes to your family."

"Okay, Master Ytalha." Nars bowed back, then turned to Vhinh, offering his hand.

"Oh, come on, Nars," Vhinh protested. "We're practically brothers now," he said, and gathered Nars in his arms, clapping him on the back a few times. "Take care, pal."

"You, too, Master Skywalker. And take care of your wife," he put in.

"You know I will."

When Nars had boarded NineHundred, Master Ytalha turned to Karta and Vhinh, placing one hand on each of their shoulders. It was clear this was going to be a day of heartfelt good-byes.

"I'm very happy for you both. May all your days together be fulfilling." Then he looked at Karta. "Mrs. Skywalker." He paused, smiling warmly. "You have been a blessing unto us, which I'm sure my pupil here will agree."

Vhinh nodded his head. Then Master Ytalha turned to him, placing both hands on his shoulders, and just smiled; but there was a certain sadness in his eyes.

It was then that his master's age hit Vhinh more than ever. His hair and beard, now almost completely white, framed his sunken features, and his warm, kind eyes were surrounded by deep lines. His frame, once stout and virile, had thinned noticeably, and he stood with an ever-so-slight hunch. Master Ytalha was still very able, and his wisdom more than made up for any depreciation in his physical abilities. But he moved slower these days, almost as if every step was now driven more by reflection than purpose.

Vhinh suddenly showed a look of concern. "Hey, you're acting weird, Master. Is anything wrong? Do you know something I don't?"

His master only smiled more heartily, saying, "Not if I have trained you as well as I believe, my son."

This made Vhinh grin a little. "I wish you could come with us."

"I as well. But my place is here at the temple," he said. Since becoming the most senior master at the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la, he had in fact been required to spend most of his time there. "And your place is in winning this war for us," he reminded.

"Consider it done, Master. We'll be back before you realize we were gone."

Before they could turn to board their own shuttle, another party came running up to join them. Jhanopellis Udo now stood before them, hair freshly cropped, save for a single, braided strand behind his ear.

Vhinh couldn't help but laugh, then took the braid in his hand. "You _think _so, huh?" he looked at Jhan quizzically.

"Hey, I can hope, can't I? You _did _say that I was your best student."

Vhinh mussed the back of what was left of his hair. "Alright, then, get in the shuttle. I know we can use your talents."

Then he held up a finger to Jhan. "But this doesn't _mean_ anything, okay? Nothing official. We still have a lot to discuss."

"Fair enough," Jhan said, trying to hide a grin behind a serious expression. Then his eyes focused elsewhere. "Master, uh..." he started. "Would you give me just a moment?"

Without turning to look, Vhinh knew the reason. "Yeah. Hurry up, then."

Jhan approached Edala, who was preparing to board her own starfighter. "Hey."

"Hey," she replied.

"You weren't going to leave without saying good-bye, were you, Dal?"

"Good-bye, Jhan," she said, without looking up.

Not satisfied with her response, he persisted. "How long are you going to hate me?"

She turned to him. "I don't _hate _you, Jhan. That word isn't in my vocabulary. Something was _lost _between us. You act like you expect us to just pick up where we left off, but it doesn't work that way. It's going to take some time."

"I'll wait forever if I have to."

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to wait around forever, Jhan. I take life as it comes. That's something you used to know about me, remember?"

"Yeah, I do. I remember a lot more than you think."

She gave a weak grin. "Yeah, I guess I can believe that."

"Just be careful, okay? _Promise_," he said.

"I will. You too." She turned to enter her ship's cockpit. Before climbing in, she said, without turning to face him, "I _am_ glad you're back, Jhan."

He knew this was all she could give him. "Me too."

When all good-byes had been said, Master Ytalha stood alone on the launch pad, watching all his best warriors jet away to continue the fight for their cause.

What he had told Vhinh was, in fact, true. He had no real knowledge to share, no vision of events to come. He only knew one thing, which he chose not to share with his former padawan, as no good would come of it.

This would be the last time they would see one another.

As he watched the Jedi ships disappear into the sky above, he took a deep breath, savoring the crisp morning air of Fi'ar'la. He then headed back to the temple.

Though many of his Jedi were now gone, he still had others to attend to, some knights, and a plethora of padawans. Many of his padawans would soon be deployed, and now was a very dangerous time, so they would need his extra guidance in preparing for this big step. His knights could benefit from some extra counsel as well, both with themselves and with handling their padawans through all this. A master's work was never done, it seemed.

As he reached the temple, he turned to take a look at the skyline of Fi'ar'la. It was still one of the most beautiful worlds he had visited, and a place he was happy to call home.

Then something caught his eye in the distance. A flash, then a slowly materializing form. The form grew larger, and he began to make out what appeared to be several ships. A small fleet, in fact, he noted as it drew ever closer. Now descending rapidly, he recognized the ships as Tratzel's - two transports and a dozen fighters. He watched as the fleet continued on, now appearing to be headed for the temple.

He indeed had a very bad feeling about this.

* * *

><p>As the Jedi Temple of Coruscant came back into view, Raha Dima felt a cold sensation come over her. She'd intended to share with her master the information she'd obtained, and had made haste to return after seeing the fallen Chrome Guard's body shuttled off.<p>

What she saw now made her stomach turn. The temple was now in flames, and as she drew closer, she could see a struggle below. Many figures, dressed in black armor, surrounding a small group of Jedi with lightsabers drawn.

Tratzel's Chrome Guard!

It couldn't be! Sure, the Jedi had long since suspected Tratzel of shady dealings and ulterior motives, even entertained the possibility that he could in fact _be _a Sith lord in disguise. But for such a bold move as this, he had to be insane, _didn't he? _What did he hope to accomplish, and how did he think the Order would react to such an attack?

Presently, it was obvious the Jedi were those on the defensive. As she watched her severely outnumbered comrades on the ground being cut down, she also took note of the many fighters who were swarming around the area, taking shots at the temple itself. Its shields had been penetrated, and now the ancient building bore the brunt of the array of blaster fire that pelted it from all sides.

_This won't stand._

She performed a swift dive, weaving into the midst of the other fighters, taking several shots as soon as one was in her sights. The fighter, caught off-guard by her sudden presence, fell prey to her attack and went up in a ball of flame. Evading return fire from a few of the other fighters, she experienced a brief wave of relief at seeing that hers was not the only Jedi fighter in the air; the remainder of her party had apparently arrived at just the right time. They were heavily outnumbered as well, though.

This was clearly a losing battle. If it went on, they would all die here. Even if they called for reinfocements, they would be dead before any arrived. She had to make a quick decision.

"Hey guys, give me some cover fire, I'm going to the ground!" she called over her com.

"_Roger_," came the response.

Swooping down toward the battle below, she circled the Jedi, firing a series of shots at the surrounding Chrome Guard, giving her allies a little breathing room. Only a handful of Jedi remained - and one was Grand Master Aysurii Vilaska! _Thank the Force,_ she thought. At a time like this, they would be lost without her. Master Vilaska, rooted deep in the front line, was a one-person army, her lightsaber a blur, creating a wide radius of destruction between herself and the attackers, while providing added defense to the Jedi at her sides.

But this was too much even for the Grand Master. More Jedi fell, despite Raha Dima's and Grand Master Vilaska's efforts, and now only a few remained. Now pulling in even closer, concentrating her fire, she closed in on the small group, sliding open the cockpit. Keeping up her defending fire, she called out to them.

"Get in! Come on!" The remaining Jedi, reluctant to leave Grand Master Vilaska's side, continued on, until Master Vilaska motioned for them to go. They did, reluctantly, but were followed by Chrome Guard, now climbing up the sides of the fighter as well, piling on, moving in for the cockpit. Raha watched as the Jedi were cut down by the swarm before they could even climb aboard, and was forced to draw her lightsaber to fend off the Guard who now closed in on her.

"Master Vilaska! Come on!" she pleaded, as time was running out, the Grand Master now the only Jedi left on the ground.

Realizing this, Vilaska made a full circle around herself with her lightsaber, powering through many of the guards' advancing vibro-swords, then pounded the ground hard with a force push that sent the surrounding Chrome Guard flying back. She then soared into the air, performing a backflip that left her standing just above the open cockpit.

"Go!" she called to Raha.

Though it seemed insane, she would never question her Grand Master, and did as she was told. Many Chrome Guard still clung to the ship, and Raha continued trying to bat them off with her lightsaber while piloting the ship with one arm. Judging by the thump of footsteps above her head, there was another intense battle transpiring atop the moving fighter!

Aysurii Vilaska, completely trusting in her pupil, calmly held her position atop the moving craft, carrying on as comfortably as she would on the ground. Several Chrome Guard had made their way up, and were trying overwhelm the Grand Master, but to no avail. Far superior in both speed and technique, the aging master seemingly effortlessly cut down the group of more imposing Chrome Guard. Swiping the last few stragglers away from the still open cockpit, she then climbed in to join Raha, who quickly closed the cockpit, as if expecting more Chrome Guard to pop out at any moment.

"Instruct the others to retreat and regroup," Master Vilaska told her.

Raha got on her com. "This is Raha Dima. Orders from the Grand Master are to retreat and regroup immediately, repeat, retreat and regroup!"

"What's going _on_, Master Vilaska?!" Raha asked then, obviously fearful.

"I do not know, young one, but we must must make contact with the other temples, and hope this is an isolated incident."

"What is Tratzel _thinking_? He'll never get away with this!"

"I feel Tratzel may be more formidable than we had anticipated, Raha. A tactical mind like his would not plan such an attack if he did not have an underlying strategy. We must be watchful, and we must act quickly to assess the situation."

Raha wanted to tell her master about the fallen Chrome Guard, but she would wait until they were in a safer place, wherever that was. She punched the ship's accelerator.

Raha didn't need a master's astuteness in the Force to tell that big things were about to go down.

* * *

><p>Darth Zin shivered all over with anticipation. When Darth Sceptaurus had informed him that the time was at hand, and that they would be laying siege on the Jedi temples, Zin had implored his master to allow him to lead the strike on the temple in Fi'ar'la, on the off chance that his father would be there. He knew the chances were slim to none, as many of the Jedi were deployed on various fronts in the war against the Tekdaemons. But if he could hit Vhinh Skywalker at home, where it would hurt him the most, he would take great pleasure in that knowledge. It would be like the appetizer before the main course.<p>

This was, basically, what his entire life had been leading up to. In the past eleven years, since learning of his mother's death at Skywalker's hand, he had doubled his efforts, pushing himself past his breaking point on more occasions than he could count. He'd wake up on the training mat, drenched in sweat, to Sceptaurus's cold slap across his face. It only served to feed his anger, and he would keep getting up, even when he previously thought it physically impossible.

The funny thing was, as many times as Sceptaurus had told him that Zin would thank him later for all the harsh treatment, and as much as he had grown to hate the man, Sceptaurus had been right. Darth Zin owed much of his power to Darth Sceptaurus, and would do anything the Sith lord asked of him. Still, inside he knew that so much of his power stemmed from the anger he felt over his mother's wrongful death, over these feelings, this _yearning_, for veangeance.

When Zin did finally kill his father, watching him writhe in agony as the life slowly drained from his body, he would have accomplished his life's work. At only twenty-three years old; yet he felt so much older. He felt the dark power of the Sith lords of the ages channeling through him, as if his hatred was so strong that their spirits had been drawn back from Hell to feed off him.

Was he already more powerful than Darth Sceptaurus? Sometimes he thought so - and the way Sceptaurus looked at him sometimes, almost lustfully, hinted that the older Sith lord craved the power which he possessed.

So when Zin did kill his father, where would he go from there? Though he didn't occupy his time pondering such things, and though there was only one thing in the universe he really wanted, Zin was aware of what he was. And a Sith lord without purpose would slowly decay; with no channel for his dark power, it would eat him away from the inside, until there was nothing left of his body or mind - he would become a being of pure, undirected dark energy, waiting to be absorbed by its next willing, or unwilling, host.

He had heard a story like this from old Sith lore.

Before the discovery of hyperdrive, there existed a world, once a great utopia. The records were spotty, at best, as they were compiled solely from archaelogical evidence, mostly decoded scripts and relics.

Legend says that this world was where the terms Bogan and Ashlan originated, thousands, perhaps millions of years before the early Je'dai.

The people of this world, their exact species unclear, had discovered the ways of the Force, and some had learned to manipulate it. Like most races, only a select few were sensitive to the mystical energy field, and those people were looked upon as gods on their world.

Using this power to perform what seemed like miracles, seeking to aid their people and nurture the progress of their rising civilization, they devoted their lives to the study and teaching of these abilities.

But they soon found that the more they did for their people, the more demanding their people became. When they began refusing to cater to every whim of the people, the people grew angry, and these Force users soon became outcasts. The people eventually grew to fear this power that they did not understand, throwing out false accusations and shunning them...

Until one of these Force users, through his own studies, discovered the true nature of the Force. He found that by looking inward rather than seeking to serve all those around him, he could unlock unseen potential; powers that far over-shadowed those of his fellow students.

Living in a primitive democratic society, over the years, the people began to squabble amongst themselves, as well, unable to agree on how their society should be run. Now, this new user of the dark side, who records have associated only the name Bogh with, saw how this new power could be used to control the people, rather than serve them - to force them to see things as they should be. Together, the Force users could rule this civilization, bringing order and prosperity. If they eliminated the need to choose, they would eliminate all the wasted energy better spent elsewhere, like in building a greater, more powerful civilization.

But his fellow students did not see things his way. They argued that the people would come around eventually, seeing that the Force users were a blessing rather than a curse, and that by taking away the choice of the people, they would be taking away their spirit. And when they learned of his new-found powers, they cast him out, claiming he had forgotten his purpose.

He knew, though, that he was the only one who saw things clearly. So one night, when his former companions lay sleeping, he entered their isolated dwelling, setting fire to the inside and blocking the entrance. From the outside, he could hear their screams and pleas, but he ignored them, until they were silent. After the murders, he found himself actually feeling much stronger than before.

He returned to civilization then, and, alone, stormed the capital, assassinating the elders and claiming the throne for himself. He then ordered a handful of the more respected citizens to convey his demands to the public.

For awhile, the citizens lived under his oppressive rule. But, having already had a taste of democracy, they again longed for it, and soon revolted. They killed his messengers and defeated the army he had raised. So, he took it upon himself to bring them down. He began slaughtering them by the dozens, feeling his power grow progressively stronger with each kill. He developed an unsatiable bloodlust, which he kept feeding until all the remaining citizens had fled into the unknown wilderness. He spent the remainder of his years hunting them down. But eventually, he stopped finding them.

His writings were the only trace of him found - and if one followed them, they could actually visualize his slow descent into madness, before he was completely consumed.

Perhaps many millennia later, the period remains uncertain, a deep space explorer stumbled upon the planet, by then completely desolate of sentient life. Seeing small traces of past inhabitants, he returned with crews of archaelogists to uncover the secrets of this ancient civilization.

Talk soon began of an eerie echo radiating from somewhere in the wilderness, that could not be heard but felt through the entire body. It seemed to touch the mind, in a very unsettling way. No one dared enter this wilderness.

Until one a day, a Jedi, a Cathar by the name of Ratan Katar, sought to understand this strange aura. Some said he was fearless, others that he was just plain foolish, but he said it was the thirst for knowledge that brought him there. And so he went - alone.

Everyone feared that Ratan wouldn't return; but perhaps they should have _prayed _that he wouldn't.

Because he did return - and he wasn't the same. For one, he looked horrible - they said he seemed to have aged by twenty years or more. His feline eyes became pure black. When he spoke, it was as if his words came from elsewhere. But he would never speak of what he found in the wilderness. He would sometimes be found talking to himself - but not just talking, more like engaged in a heated, verbal war with himself - yet he spoke in an unknown tongue.

There were many theories at the time about the changes in him, the most prevailing being his possession by some type of evil spirit. That theory turned out to be closest to the truth.

Then the killing started. People began disappearing in the night, found mangled and drained of their blood. When the killings were finally traced to Ratan, he revealed himself; a creature of pure malevolence, craving the very life force of his victims.

He killed so many Je'dai, he later became legend among the Sith, who had not yet come to be. It took all the known Je'dai at the time to finally bring him down. The story became both an inspiration and a warning to those who tap into the dark side of the Force.

_Being creatures of pure will,_

_we must sustain that will in order to sustain ourselves,_

_lest we lose all that we have taken;_

That was the doctrine that became one of the foundations for the ways of the Sith.

Darth Zin took heed of this. He knew he would rule the galaxy with his master. But he also knew that he would never be completely satisfied being second to even one as compelling as Darth Sceptaurus. When the time came, he had no doubt he could kill Sceptaurus. It wouldn't be easy with the guard constantly watching over their shoulders, but he would find a way. There would be many factors to consider - but that would come much later.

Right now, he was preparing to live out his fantasies.


	5. Chapter 5

**-5-**

* * *

><p>The small fleet closed in on the temple, and Master Ytalha could only watch and wait. He wanted to order a full retreat, or at least have a few knights shuttle away the younglings before things got ugly, but they would only be shot down - this force was too great. Calling his recently departed warriors back at this time would only have them fall as well. He could only hope the matter could somehow be resolved without violence.<p>

The temple's remaining Jedi began gathering outside to see what the commotion was about, perhaps even sensing what their elder sensed. When a few younglings showed up among them, Master Ytalha quickly shooed them away, more a reflex than anything else. As the thrusters of the transports powered down, the fighters remained hovering in the air above.

Waiting.

The hatches opened, and Chrome Guard piled out, filing into orderly lines outside the ships. A single fighter touched down between them. Emerging from the cockpit was a black-cloaked figure.

Master Ytalha's heart sank.

The figure, face still shrouded by the shadow of his dark cowl, made his way to the front of the lines of Chrome Guard. He walked with a graceful, yet purposeful stride, and stopped to stand only a few meters before Master Ytalha. The old master could feel the dark side emanating from him, and it felt almost overwhelming to simply be in his presence. He didn't need to be told that this was in fact a Sith lord.

So it was happening, right in front of their very eyes. The return of the Sith.

The Sith lord spoke. "Where is Vhinh Skywalker?" he asked, in a cold, even tone. Sae could tell by his voice that he was young, which greatly surprised him. Who was this man, and how could one so young command such presence?

"What is your business with Master Skywalker?" the old master demanded, unwavering.

"My business is my own," the young Sith responded. "Present him to me and I may spare your temple... for the time being."

"He is not at this temple, and his whereabouts are none of your concern," Master Ytalha said defiantly. He knew that whatever this Sith's plan was, it had already been decided.

"Very well..." the Sith began. "I can leave a message."

With that, he withdrew two lightsabers from beneath his cloak, igniting them simultaneously, their glowing red blades dancing the dance of impending doom.

"You will accomplish nothing with this act. There are many more Jedi out there, and we will retaliate. Many of you will die today, and we will fight to the last man."

"Perfect," the Sith said, a vile sneer stretching across his lips, the only visible part of his face.

Without warning, he flung one of the lightsabers in Master Ytalha's direction, and had another, already ignited, as soon as it left his hand.

Master Ytalha quickly dodged the blade, which made a slow arc, then started back from where it came, zooming past his head again. The Chrome Guard began rushing toward the other Jedi. The battle was on.

Catching the third lightsaber as soon as it returned, the Sith had already flung another in an unsuspecting Jedi's direction, this time making contact. The Jedi's disembodied arm fell to the ground, and he stood there a moment, in shock, until Chrome Guard were right on him, at which time he weaved around them, grabbing his lightsaber with his remaining hand and trying to mount a defense.

The Sith, stalking toward Master Ytalha, blindly caught the returning lightsaber and had already cast back the other, without ever taking his eyes off the old master. He met Sae with both blades crashing against the man's one, knocking him back with the impact. Just before the other saber returned, he flung one again at Master Ytalha, now nearly three meters from him. Sae had never seen any technique like this, and was actually unsure of how to react. The young Sith continued forward, eating up any ground that the Jedi had given up, absently casting out his third lightsaber at random parties as he did.

Meanwhile, the other Jedi were busy dealing with the horde of Chrome Guard who greatly outnumbered them. Padawans, who had bravely joined the fray, much to the dismay of their masters, were quickly taken down by the Chrome Guard, barely able to mount any kind of offense against the vibro-sword wielding warriors. Even the more seasoned Jedi had trouble with them, and it became quickly clear that these individuals were very strong in the Force.

It was everything they had feared; like a nightmare and a myth rolled into one. None present thought they would see this day within their lifetime, but it was now upon them, and all they could do was fight and try not to die.

A few of the Jedi sensed their old master may be in need of assistance, and broke away from the main battle to aid in the fight against the apparent Sith lord. Seeing himself momentarily surrounded, he only smiled, performing a swift backflip, now placing himself directly behind one of the Jedi. The Jedi anticipated his next move, however, so when the Sith brought his blades down for a low attack, the Jedi was there to block.

He didn't, however, anticipate the third blade, once again returning to its master.

The blade sheared the Jedi's head clean off from behind, coming back to rest in the Sith lord's hand only centimeters from his face. When their comrade fell at the Sith lord's feet, all the Jedi saw was him standing there, smiling. He shrugged off his hood, revealing a face too young for the power he possessed. His jet black hair fell to the sides of his pale face. A familiar face...

It was then that Master Ytalha knew. Like a tidal wave, all the information rushed through his mind: Vhinh's illicit affair, the meeting he'd had with this 'Nea' person regarding a son he'd never met, who would be about this person's age, Nea's apparent connection with Tratzel, their suspicions of Tratzel's ties to the Sith - the death of Sada Illaros. Not only this, but he sensed something about the man before him - a familiarity, buried deep inside by unspeakable anger and hatred. What had they done to this person to make him this way? If he indeed was a Skywalker, he was a danger to the galaxy as a whole.

As the Sith continued the onslaught on the small group of Jedi, his troops continued to overwhelm the others, cutting them down left and right. Though they greatly outnumbered the Jedi, each single Chrome Guard displayed power and skill equal or greater to that of even some of the best Jedi knights. The remaining Jedi were now only fighting to shield the padawans as long as possible from their inevitable demise.

The suspected son of Skywalker gave a derisive laugh as he swiftly put down Sae's allies in arms with a few precision maneuvers, leaving the master once again to fend for himself. Apparently confident that the battle was nearing completion, the Sith ceased with his deadly juggling act and directed the third lightsaber to hover above he and Master Ytalha's heads as he once again closed the distance between them, preparing for their final duel.

Master Ytalha readied himself, knowing he could not match this man's ungodly speed or skill. But what he wanted most right now was answers.

Lightsabers clashed with a deafening surge, but above the racket, Sae called out, "Who are you?!"

"I am a Dark Lord of the Sith, _Jedi_," the man only growled back as their sabers locked.

"What is your _name_, Sith?" Sae challenged.

The Sith sneered. "My _name _is Darth Zin. Any other questions?"

"Your _name _is _Koren!_" Master Ytalha said knowingly.

At that, the Sith shot him an incredulous look, powering through Ytalha's defenses and sending him rolling to the ground. "So you _know_, do you, Jedi?" he said, as he loomed over Ytalha. "Yes, that _was _my name, _once_."

Before Master Ytalha could rise to his feet, Darth Zin came at him with both sabers, forcing him to defend, and then, with a few blinding movements, disarmed the Jedi, his blade rolling to a stop just out of arm's reach. Zin stood over him, lightsabers now inches from Sae's throat, effectively pinning him.

"What do you seek from your father?" Sae appealed.

"I seek to _end_ his existence, slowly and painfully!" he spat.

"But why? He has loved you, having never even met you!"

The Sith only laughed. "A Jedi has no love for a Sith! He would slay me, just as he did my _mother_!" Zin screamed his words now through gritted teeth.

Master Ytalha was taken aback, and before he could try to decipher those words, question what this man was talking about, Darth Zin's third hovering lightsaber came soaring down from above, impaling him.

Zin withdrew the lightsaber, and the old Jedi Master slumped to the ground, his life force draining, becoming one with the Force. Around them, the sounds of battle had now come to a close, the landing pad now scattered with fallen Jedi who would join their master.

"I hope you receive my message, _father_," Darth Zin said as he stalked away.

* * *

><p>Once they had evaded the Chrome Guard and escaped into hyperspace, Raha informed Grand Master Vilaska of her findings - what little there were, at this point.<p>

"The Chrome Guard were all strong in the Force," Master Vilaska said.

She stared, expressionless, out the viewport. "And so it has come to pass. The Sith Order has been restored. We are now at war, and they have struck the first blow."

"But where are they _coming _from, Master?" Raha asked.

"That I do not know. There are many questions that must be answered, my pupil. What are Eulian Tratzel's whereabouts during all of this - and were other temples attacked the same as ours?"

"Where should I take us?" Raha asked, having only punched in random hyperspace coordinates.

"For now, Raha, just fly. I will attempt to contact the other Jedi, and see what we can decipher from the situation."

Raha nodded, turning her attention to the viewport, though there was nothing to see but the interweaving sinews of hyperspace.

"All Jedi, repeat, _all _Jedi," her master said over a secure com channel. "This is Grand Master Aysurii Vilaska. The Jedi Temple of Coruscant has been attacked by Eulian Tratzel's Chrome Guard. Many Jedi have fallen, and we sense more attacks may have, or will, occur. All council members or representatives from each temple are to make contact at once.

"Do _not _remain at your temple - you are to contact members of your respective temple and arrange a safe meeting point until you have received further instructions. Time is of the essence." She cut off the transmission.

Hearing that com transmission from the Grand Master of the Jedi Order seated next to her was both unsettling and surreal.

"What will we do if this happened everywhere, Master?" Raha asked nervously.

"Trust in the Force, my pupil."

* * *

><p>"...<em>until you have received further instructions. Time is of the essence."<em>

Vhinh's eyes went wide as he listened to the transmission, shaking his head in disbelief; or denial. Karta didn't know what to say, and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I'm going back," he declared.

"But you heard what Master Vilaska said - " Jhan started.

"I know." He had nothing else to say. He wouldn't excuse or try to rationalize his actions, he just knew it was what he was going to do.

"I'll fly," Karta said, as he started for the ship's controls. Vhinh didn't protest, only moved aside without a word. Taking a deep, shaky breath and letting it out, he activated his com, in a daze.

"Master Vilaska, this is Vhinh Skywalker. No word from the temple yet. We will contact the others and report back," he said.

They could hear a sigh of relief over the com. "_Master Skywalker, I am pleased to hear your voice. Whatever you do, do _not_ return to the temple_."

There was only silence on Vhinh's end as he looked ahead, quite literally staring off into space.

"_Master Skywalker_..." she persisted.

"I'll send word as soon as we know something, Master Vilaska." Then he cut off the transmission, and hung his head.

No one knew what to say. They wanted to say 'I'm sure he's okay,' or something to that effect, but they really weren't.

"Jhan, contact the others," he said, passing the com back to his former padawan.

Jhan gave him a questioning look, but quickly dropped it. His master didn't need any grief right now. Neither of them had ever seen Vhinh like this. Though on the outside, he held his composure, they both knew that on the inside he was screaming.

"Uh... this is Jhanopellis Udo, of the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la..." he said, looking to Vhinh, not sure if he could again claim that affiliation. At this point he could have called himself Grand Master and Vhinh wouldn't have batted an eye. "I am with Master Vhinh Skywalker and Ms., um... Mrs. Karta Skywalker."

The first time Karta had heard her full married name spoken should have meant more than it did at this moment.

"Please make contact," he continued. "We will follow up with rendezvous coordinates." He cut the com and looked to Vhinh, then to Karta.

Many Jedi replied, Edala included, to Jhan's relief, though he knew she had left the temple when they had. Karta had consulted the navcomputer, selecting a secluded rock that would be their meeting destination. Knowing this was a great responsibility, she felt some reservation at completing this task, but the knowledge that Vhinh would trust her judgement gave her confidence in her choice.

When the incoming transmissions ceased, there was one very notable ommision. They had not heard from anyone at the temple on Fi'ar'la. There was silence then, until they neared the temple.

When the distant spark of flames hit Vhinh's eyes, he instantly tensed. "No..." he said blankly.

The flames grew as they approached, and soon the devastation was evident. As they made their slow decent, they could start to make out the bodies. Vhinh's heart was pounding, though he already had a good idea of what he would find.

They emerged from the ship, Vhinh pushing ahead. Dead Jedi lay everywhere - yet not a single Chrome Guard.

"Scan for any signs of life," he instructed Jhan and Karta.

The entire experience was unreal; walking amongst the lifeless bodies of those who they had celebrated with only the night before. Karta began to weep. She had known these people, seen many of them almost every day while she'd stayed on the temple for those eleven years. And now every one of them was gone. Sadly, the many Jedi deployed in the war had been the _lucky_ ones. And it donned on her; had they not left when they did, their fate would have been the same as the fallen Jedi around her.

As Vhinh trudged disheartedly through the mess of dead, he stopped at one body in particular. And fell to his knees.

Karta and Jhan were now intently watching Vhinh, feeling helpless, feeling heartbroken - feeling everything they knew he must be feeling. They watched as he gazed upon his dead master, then quickly turned his head away as if the sight was too much for him. He closed his eyes, drawing a long, deep breath, then began to gather Master Ytalha in his arms.

The scanners had revealed nothing; a blip here and there, but when they had tried to find its source, nothing remained, as if a few Jedi had breathed one last gasp of life before letting go of their physical existence completely.

"Help me gather the others," Vhinh reluctantly requested, not wanting to ask such a thing, but knowing Karta and Jhan's sense of duty would readily accept the task.

And so, the bodies were gathered together in the center of the temple grounds, and a huge funeral pyre was constructed. They worked hastily, as they knew this was a critical time, but Vhinh also knew that Tratzel had made his first move, and would now be waiting for the Jedi's reaction. Before deciding on this, he had to pay his respects.

They stood and watched as the flames crept up the mass of bodies, among smoke and glowing ashes flittering in the wind, their light dying out as they ascended into the sky above.

It was not a funeral where one asked, 'Would anyone like to say a few words?'. There were no words that could sum up the collective lives of all these noble people.

"May you join the Force and remain in our hearts forever," Vhinh only said, the three now huddled together in a solemn embrace.

They drew strength from each other, the strength they would need to carry on from here, and though the flames burned brightly, they knew theirs was the only light now left at the temple.

* * *

><p>Notes: Hey, just wanted to throw out a quick thank you for your continued support in spite of the delays. You guys give me reason to keep up the posting. Will have the next chapter up soon. Many surprises are yet to come!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

**-6-**

* * *

><p>Via holo transmission, an impromptu and unorthodox meeting of the Jedi Council was now underway to discuss what steps needed to be taken after the brutal attacks on the Jedi temples. Grand Master Aysurii Vilaska surveyed the faces of her council, finding the absence of many disheartening, but at the same time thankful for those who remained.<p>

"I do not see a council member from the temple of Qixental," she noted.

"All are believed perished, Master Vilaska," Tevin Harr, a Twi'lek master of the Jedi temple of Qixental, stated sadly.

"Then you shall sit in their place, Master Harr," Grand Master Vilaska declared.

"Yes, master," he bowed. He had just received a great honor, but his appreciation, given the circumstances, did not show.

"These are indeed grave circumstances, my fellow Jedi," she began. "Many have been lost. It is now known that this was a coordinated attack on every Jedi temple. Few survivors have yet been found." She bowed her head somberly, knowing that _she _was one, if not the _only_.

"We have also learned that the House of the Senate, along with all of its members, has been taken by Tratzel and his Chrome Guard, and is now being held hostage. Chief of State Felderai has been murdered." Even given the grim events of the day, gasps of shock and dismay could be heard among the council. "We have yet to hear of Tratzel's demands - but we must expect the worst.

"We are now at war. Not only with the Tekdaemons, but now with a much more formidable adversary. The future is uncertain. We have suspected possible ties between Tratzel and the Tekdaemons already, so with this added dynamic, we are already at a loss. If indeed Tratzel is a Sith lord, which we also have suspected - I do not need to tell you what this means for us. We have learned that some, or all, of these Chrome Guard are indeed Force-sensitive. One of my students is now leading a task force, following up on some information obtained from one of these Chrome Guard. Any information gained will immediately be relayed to the rest of you.

"In the mean time, we must plan our next moves carefully in order to minimize losses. And we must attempt to forge new alliances if we are to have any chance at alleviating this great threat.

"The Hutts may, in fact, prove to be a willing candidate, as Tratzel's ongoing war with their empire has severly diminished their holdings - and with Tratzel's focus now on the Jedi, it may free them up to mount a significant offense. Having been at war with one of the cartels, we are familiar with their weaknesses, and just may be able to help them cover those weaknesses. The real problem will be making contact with Zabra, their leader, as he is known for being difficult to find.

"The second potential ally would be the Bounty Hunter's Guild. This may prove to be a challenge, as their group is primarily comprised of mercenaries working for the highest bidder, yet they may prove to be the wild card we need. No doubt Tratzel will attempt to utilize their services against us, so we must act quickly, and we must appeal to their chieftain, Kevilus Rakter.

"I will nominate a few of you to attempt to make contact with our potential allies, and in the meantime I ask that each temple dedicate a small portion of their warriors to the task of performing reconaissance, so that we may formulate an effective strategy once we have rallied all of our troops."

Vhinh tentatively put up a hand, and Master Vilaska turned her attention to him. "Yes, Master Skywalker?"

"Master Vilaska, we have with us Jhanopellis Udo, former padawan of the Jedi temple of Fi'ar'la. He has obtained closely guarded information about the Tekdaemon cartel, which may prove useful. Rumor among the Tekdaemons was in fact that their entire organization is controlled by a Sith lord, so it seems the pieces are coming together, and we all know what that means.

"Jhanopellis may know how to contact Zabra, as the cartels were once working closely together. We also have in our company a former bounty hunter, Karta Skywalker," he paused, knowing he had just made an unofficial announcement, but also knowing it wasn't the time for this. "She may prove useful in communicating with Kevilus Rakter."

"Very well, Master Skywalker. I shall leave this task to you and your party."

She once again addressed the group. "I trust we all know how to proceed from here. All reconaissance teams are to report back immediately with any findings. The rest of you are to stay at your rendezvous points until you have received further instructions. Let us waste no time. Good luck and be safe, my Jedi."

With that, the transmission ended. Vhinh made his way back to his group, who had met on the planet Utaru, a small, desolate world in the Outer-Mid Rim area. Had this been a less dismal time, he may have teased Karta about her choice in honeymoon retreats.

He surveyed the remaining members of the Jedi temple of Fi'ar'la. They had lost many good warriors, many wise masters, since the war with the Tekdaemons, and now the tragedies of today. His heart still ached for one in particular, but now was the time to act.

Now the only remaining council member to represent the Jedi temple of Fi'ar'la, though still on the young side by council standards, Vhinh would be looked to for guidance, and to lay out the logistics for their next steps. It was perhaps the largest responsibility he had taken on, but he was up to the task. The lives of these people were now in his hands, and he would not let them down.

He would first go over their rations to determine how long they could sustain themselves on this barren rock, should it end up being more than a short-term stay. Next, he would hand-pick his reconnaissance team based on perceived tactical and stealth ability. Lookouts would be posted around their new base to prevent any more surprises. The rest would be instructed to go into deep meditation, resting and drawing strength for the next inevitable battle.

Karta came to stand by his side, knowing the weight that now rested on his shoulders. Though they sorely wanted to, they would make no displays of affection at this time. He needed to appear strong and unwavering in front of his people.

Around them, it looked like a shanty town of some sort, with rows of ships lining the planet's rocky surface, all the Jedi gathered in between, then surrounded by mostly nothing. _So it's already come to this_, he thought. The Jedi, now basically in hiding, the temples abandoned, the future completely uncertain. And he had to make it better.

_Well, here goes nothing._

"Jedi of Fi'ar'la," he began.

* * *

><p>Grand Master Vilaska could not meditate. From now on, her duties had increased tenfold. Her order needed her more than ever now - even sleep would be a luxury.<p>

When she had been named Grand Master by the one before her, she had not been asked, and she would have never thought to refuse the title, even knowing all the responsibility that came with it. The Force had willed it, just as it had chosen her, she believed. It was her destiny.

And now, she faced the potential extinction of her order. An order once so great, now severely shaken.

Taken completely by surprise.

Though it hadn't been a _complete _surprise. They had received clues, here and there. The disbanding of the Peacekeepers, possibly aided, to an unknown extent, by Eulian Tratzel himself. His suspected ties to the Tekdaemon cartel. And a hint of his dark power.

This anonymous private army that he'd raised, seemingly out of nowhere, and his polling for some kind of political influence.

All gave an inkling of an emerging threat. But what could they have done? The public had embraced him, and his hands were clean. It was a very delicate situation, to say the least. The Republic would have been outraged had the Jedi acted on their suspicions and brought down Tratzel. And in such an uncertain time, when his army had appeared as their savior.

_Well played, indeed_.

Perhaps the smartest thing the Jedi had done throughout this ordeal had been declaring war on the Tekdaemons. Tratzel had certainly not been happy about it. In any case, the endless mulling over of the way things had played out meant nothing now.

Aysurii could only hope Raha's task force was able to accomplish their goal. A very tall order indeed - to capture and extract information from more Chrome Guard. The search they had performed for the fallen Chrome Guard's next of kin had returned nothing - no records of any such people existed on that world.

Raha had insisted the guard had no reason to lie about this information on his death bed; that she felt he was not being deceptive. If this was in fact correct, then either they had disappeared from record somehow - or had never existed. Both possibilities hinted at shady dealings on Tratzel's part. If they could follow this trail, perhaps they would find something they could use against him.

A holocom transmission interrupted her thoughts. It had come through the Jedi temple of Coruscant's frequency.

There, in front of her, stood the digital representation of the man in question.

"Greetings, Grand Master Vilaska," Tratzel said smugly. "My, you look tired. Had a hard day?"

Ignoring the question, she started, "These heinous acts you have committed against both the Jedi Order and the Republic will _not _go unpunished, Tratzel. You have made a very grave mistake."

He only laughed. "No, Master Vilaska, it is _you_ that have made the mistake. I merely capitalized on it."

"What of the hostages, then? What are your demands?"

"Demands... Yes, we have not discussed that matter, have we?" He smiled and looked as if in contemplation. "One jedi for each member of the House you wish to be released."

Master Vilaska looked at his image defiantly. "The Order would gladly lay down their lives to protect the Republic and its citizens, Tratzel."

"A fact I had counted on, Jedi. And this _Republic _you speak of is no more. Furthermore, the name Eulian Tratzel is not befitting of an emperor. From now on you may refer to me as... Darth Sceptaurus."

Unmoved, Aysurii replied, "And so you finally reveal yourself as a Sith. I cannot say that I am surprised in the least, _Tratzel_," she taunted, deliberately paying no heed to his chosen title. Then she went on, "You may take the senate by force, but it is the people who have the ultimate say, and they will never stand for this."

"And what have I to fear from the people? A mere peasant revolt?" he said dismissively. "Any systems that refuse to accept their new empire will simply be put down."

"There is no empire to speak of, and there never will be," she resolved.

"That is where you are wrong, Master Vilaska. You see, I have already established this empire. Now it is only a matter of cleaning up the mess."

"You can not win this," she said plainly. "You will only die with everyone else."

Darth Sceptaurus scoffed. "Please! It would take a greater army than there is in the entire galaxy to stop me. You have missed your chance, Jedi. So accept your fate."

Aysurii wanted to keep him talking. The longer he was occupied, the more precious time her Jedi would have to prepare for the next impending strike.

"And what of these 'Chrome Guard'? They are Sith as well, yes?" She wouldn't reveal what little, if anything, they'd learned of the Chrome Guard so far. Maybe she could even glean some information from Tratzel, _aka _Darth Sceptaurus. It was in a Sith's nature to take pleasure in speaking of their exploits.

"I have indeed trained them in the ways of the Sith. They are to be the foundation of my new empire. But they are _nothing_ compared to my apprentice. Your Jedi of Fi'ar'la could attest to this - if they were still _breathing_." He smiled derisively.

Aysurii's eyes went momentarily to the floor in rememberance, then she steeled her gaze. "Ah, the one who will inevitably usurp you, as is the way of your kind. Such a futile game you play."

"Rest assured, Master Vilaska, I have already taken steps to ensure that will never happen."

"That remains to be seen. On another note, you certainly have raised a sizable army, which begs the question: how were you able to find so many willing candidates who are strong in the Force?"

It was worth a try.

"Ha! As if I would share my secrets with a Jedi. Not that it really matters, at this point. You are severely outnumbered, outmatched and outgunned. Now enough of this - on to my demands." He folded his hands as if in anticipation. "You have twenty-four standard hours to comply, Vilaska, at which time the _executions _will commence. They can be members of the senate... or they can be Jedi. It is your choice."

"I fail to see what this will accomplish. Why even bother with such a mindless act of butchery?"

"Because I _can_. This is something that is lost on you; the reason you fail, and will continue to fail until the Jedi are no more. Twenty-four hours, Master Vilaska." Sceptaurus cut off the transmission.

Grand Master Vilaska took a deep breath, preparing herself for what had to be done. She knew she needn't ask anything of her Jedi - they would willingly volunteer their lives for those of others. As she slowly released her breath, she prepared to make the hardest call a Grand Master ever had to make.

* * *

><p>"My Jedi," the call began.<p>

A single tear could be seen on Grand Master Vilaska's face as she spoke. Such a display of emotion had never showed on her stoic exterior. The Jedi knew that whatever it was, it could not be good.

"I have just received contact from Eulian Tratzel. Among other things, he has indeed confirmed his allegiance to the Sith order. He has taken the name Darth Sceptaurus, and claims to have instituted a new empire upon the galaxy. He has also stated his demands."

She paused as if collecting herself. "In order to secure the release of the members of the House, he demands one Jedi for each body. They are to then be executed."

Aysurii let this fact sink in, steadying herself. "We have been given twenty-four standard hours before he begins executing members of the House. I myself will be going to the House."

Jedi all over the galaxy uttered a collective gasp, and the inner turmoil now spreading among them could practically be felt.

She continued. "My Jedi, I have only two requests. I ask that my council remain intact. The Order will need their guidance now more than ever. I also ask that no padawan make this journey. They are the future of the Order, if we do in fact survive this ordeal. I regret that more could not be saved at the temples."

Bowing her head briefly, she then continued, "This is a very dark time. Many Jedi will fall; perhaps the Order itself. But we must persevere. We must take down this Sith lord Darth Sceptaurus at all costs. Only then may we have a chance at stopping his armies, and all will not have died in vain.

"You all know what must be done in order to make this happen. I am proud of each and every one of you, for you have endured, and will continue to do so through whatever you face. So let us go and meet our destinies."

Master Vilaska bowed deeply to all her Jedi before cutting off the communication.

The remainder of the planning took on an even more grim tone, for some would not be there to fight this battle with their comrades. When all was said and done, the Jedi began making preparations for departure to wherever their place in this war effort might take them.

Jhan made his way to Edala's fighter. "So are you on recon, then?" he asked, assuming Master Skywalker would want some of his best to lead the effort.

She didn't immediately answer, instead busying herself with a systems check on her craft.

Finally, she said, "I'm going to the House of the Senate."

The words hung there, and Jhan just stared at her, frozen, until they finally sunk in, at which he did a double-take.

"Wait - _what_?!"

Edala gave no response, only averted her gaze.

"No!" he protested. "You _can't_ go, Dal! You - you're important to our plans!" He knew this feeble attempt at rationalizing would be instantly transparent.

"No more important than any of us, Jhan. And it's my duty. I feel this is the right path for me."

He knew that once Edala had her mind set on something, there was no changing it. His head was spinning, and he had a desperate, searching look about him. "Then I'm going with you!" he blurted out.

"No you're not, Jhan," she said matter-of-factly. "You're a padawan - if even _that_."

"They don't need to _know _that! And I'm _not _a padawan, _yet_. Nothing is official. Master Vilaska only said no padawans, so I'm not bound by her orders," he reasoned.

"Jhan, don't do this," she said almost scoldingly.

"Why? _You're_ doing it! What makes us any different, then? You said you're no more important than any of us - well, neither am I!"

She looked at him now. "But you came back to make a _difference, _remember? To right your wrongs, to once again find yourself. Don't just throw that away!"

"I came back to be with _you_!" he said heatedly. "If you're gonna go off and march to your death, I'll die _with _you! Better that than the alternative," he nearly choked on his words.

Whether near or far, Jhan could not imagine the idea of living in a galaxy without Edala, and she took his meaning. Her eyes began to glaze over.

"_Dammit_, Jhan!" She now spoke with anger and conviction. "I _swear_, if you follow me, I will _never _forgive you! If you want to make up all those years to me, here's your chance. You go and _fight_. Win this war, and let me do what I have to do."

It hit him like a wave of realization. She was giving him no recourse. He frantically looked around, as if physically searching for an out. But all there was now stared him right in the face, forcing his acceptance. His own tears began to fall.

"You know I'll do anything you ask of me, Dal. But this is the hardest thing you could possibly ask!"

"Then you'll be a Jedi."

They gazed at each other for a long moment, slowly processing the fact that this would be the last time they'd lay eyes on one another.

"I love you, Dal," he said, pulling her close to him.

"I know, Jhan."

She didn't have to say anything else, because he knew at that moment that she had always loved him, and the greatest thing she could do for him was to accept his love, which she had just done. The brief wave of joy he experienced at this knowledge was only overshadowed by the fact that this was, without a doubt, the worst day of his entire life.

* * *

><p>Galacom headquarters, Bilendi Center, Galiston. If anything held any degree of certainty at this time, it was a safe bet that Eulian Tratzel, aka Darth Sceptaurus, would have a small garrison of his Chrome Guard here.<p>

It turned out Raha Dima's hunch was right. There stood two Chrome Guard, keeping vigil at the main entrance, as if it were some high-level government or military installation. In a way, it was - the revenue from Galacom, among Tratzel's many holdings, had no doubt aided in funding the newly-discovered Sith lord's now massive army, including his impressive armada of ships led by _The Omen_, the horrifying capital ship of capital ships.

Even if they could somehow stop his army, Raha deliberated, how in the stars would they ever handle that monster? But that would have to be dealt with later, because right now Raha had a critical task in front of her.

The small team of four Jedi, dressed as Galistonian civilians, did not look out of place in the least. They'd opted to go with a divide and conquer play, using two Jedi as a diversion, banking on the hope that one Chrome Guard would be thought enough to deal with two troublesome civilians.

So they split up into pairs, Raha leading the initial and more dangerous effort. With the other two about ten meters behind them, Raha and Kov Proxis, a Devaronian master, made their move. Strolling casually by the entrance, they made a quick, sharp turn, pushing past the guards and through the entrance, sprinting as if up to something big.

One guard took the bait, immediately starting after them, while the other stayed behind.

Once inside, the two Jedi darted toward the nearest hallway, then flattened themselves against the wall and lie in wait. As soon as their pursuer had turned the corner, he backpedaled, seeing the two and realizing their intent; but it made no difference - they were already on him.

Making every effort not to attract more attention, they forced him against the wall, while Raha, with one hand, removed a small syringe from her belt, biting off the cap with her teeth. She jabbed it through the thin layer of black material covering the guard's neck, and the instant she applied pressure to the plunger, he went limp in their arms.

Liquid nanote; a highly concentrated, hard to come by anesthesia that would leave him completely incapacitated for at least a half hour, which would give them plenty of time to get him aboard their getaway ship and into restraints.

She quickly hit two buttons on her com, sending a signal to their pilot that they would be ready for pickup. Hopefully things had gone as smoothly for their friends on the outside.

Hefting the body up, Raha taking the legs and Master Proxis the arms, they hurried back around the corner - only to find four more Chrome Guard heading toward them from an adjacent hallway.

At the sight of this, Kov Proxis let go of the guard's arms, letting his upper half drop to the floor.

Raha, hunching over under the added weight, asked in a panic, "Master Proxis, what are you doing?"

But the master already had his lightsaber drawn, answering her question.

"_Take _him, Raha!" he ordered.

"But what about _you_?" she protested.

"I'm doing my part, Raha. Now _finish _this! _Quickly_!" Master Proxis maneuvered himself between Raha and the approaching Chrome Guard, unwavering in his ready stance.

He couldn't survive this. She'd seen the power of these Chrome Guard in battle, cutting down Jedi as if they were nothing. A master of Kov Proxis's caliber may get the best of a Chrome Guard in a one-on-one battle. Two on one - he may have had a slim chance. But this would be slaughter.

What choice did she have, though? They needed this - desperately. If she didn't get this guard outside to join the others, their mission would be a failure. They needed all the data they could obtain - and two Chrome Guard would, for their purposes, eliminate the small possibility of coincidence, giving them a more clear picture of what they were dealing with.

And what if she decided Master Proxis's life was more valuable than this data? She would die with him, both in vain. She'd be doing Master Proxis a disservice and nullifying his sacrifice. So Raha did what she felt she must.

With a grunt of exertion, she flung the body over her shoulders. Raha's rigorous training would now be put to the test. Using a combination of adrenaline, the Force and sheer will, her small frame carried the body that nearly tripled her weight in an all out run for the main entrance.

Behind her, she could hear the clashes of lightsaber meeting metal, followed shortly by the clang of metal hitting the marble floor. She silently celebrated, hoping it meant one less Chrome Guard for Master Proxis. Then, she heard what sounded like another vibrosword slipping from a Chrome Guard's grasp.

Should she turn around? They may have a chance...

_No, _she'd already committed herself, and reinforcements would surely be arriving soon. In that brief second she'd hesitated before pushing through the door, she heard a sickening slice of metal hitting flesh. Droplets of crimson spattered on the transparisteel door in front of her.

_May you join the Force, Master Proxis, _she thought, then pushed through.

Reaching the outside, she sighed in relief at the sight of the waiting craft and her two companions loading up the other unconscious Chrome Guard. But now she could hear two sets of footsteps fast approaching behind her.

Mustering one final burst of speed, she bolted for the ship, where Master Ing Vil and Jedi Knight Sett Kataris now waited.

"Where's Master Proxis?" Sett asked her. The somber look she gave him answered his question, and he closed his eyes in a brief silent grievance.

"_Go!" _Master Vil called to the pilot as the two hoisted Raha into the ship's open side door. The two Chrome Guard were right behind her, and as the ship slowly began to gain altitude, it took Master Vil and Sett Kataris's best efforts to keep them at bay.

Siezing an opportune moment, Raha quickly waved the door closed, and they all relaxed slightly as they felt the ship take off.

Raha then slumped to her knees, shedding a tear. "I could have saved him."

Master Vil approached her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "You accomplished what you set out to. No doubt Master Proxis died to make that so."

She stood up, now facing him. "But he took down two of them by himself! If I'd been there, I could have saved him!"

"You don't know that, Raha," he reasoned. "And you'd have put the mission in jeopardy. Many more lives are at stake now, and any Jedi would lay down their own for the greater good."

"Sacrificing yourself is one thing, Master Vil. But it feels wrong not to help someone in need, no matter what the circumstances."

"Very hard choices must sometimes be made, Raha. All masters know this, yet hope to never be faced with it. You have done the right thing, my young friend."

"Thank you, Master Vil," she said, but it still didn't sit well with her. Would she now forever be tormented with the question of what if?


	7. Chapter 7

**-7-**

* * *

><p>A man such as Kevilus Rakter didn't get to where he was by doing nothing. To be named Chieftain of such a precarious group as the Bounty Hunter's Guild took some doing. You had to earn the respect, and not just respect, but acclaim of your fellow bounty hunters. You had to be charismatic, so that when you spoke, people were compelled to listen. And you had to be a good leader, offering some semblance of stability in a galaxy where it was one big free-for-all.<p>

Kevilus offered all these things.

The Guild members normally went about things on their own, sometimes forming small groups to handle some of the tougher jobs. For guidance, they would look to each other, but above all, their own street smarts. If you hadn't already been hardened by the exposure to the underworld, you didn't make it far.

Kevilus had personally worked with many of these men and women, fine warriors and brilliant tacticians alike. They'd seen him in action, and those who hadn't would hear stories of his exploits. Most believed he was the top bounty hunter out there. He may not have been the strongest, or the fastest, but he was more than formidable in each respect. And his versatility topped off his already impressive skillset. He had a knack for thinking one step ahead of his quarry. Often, his catches were made by simply being where he knew his subject would be next. His weapon and tech knowledge were impressive, and his ability to adapt to any situation and improvise made him unpredictable.

The thing with mercenaries is that it's difficult to have any sort of unification when all are serving different purposes. One may be apprehending a specific member of a cartel, while another may be doing a job for that very cartel. It was all about business. You tried not to be biased, and you tried to make it clear to your contractor that you had no personal feelings on the matter. Reputation was everything, and a bounty hunter who showed any kind of ties to a particular group was as good as a bounty hunter who couldn't catch a cold.

Ten or fifteen standard years ago, there had been plenty of work. With the major escalation in crime, there should have been more, however. This was a fact not lost on Kevilus. These 'bounty hunters' who bested the Jedi in all these high-profile cases were not guild members. Yet they had access to some pretty good intelligence, apparently. It didn't take a genius to figure out the cartels were up to something.

But Kevilus didn't talk. You let the cartels do their thing, because they were your biggest source of contracts. As long as they weren't messing in your affairs, it was live and let live. And whatever they were up to, it was actually making the Guild look good. Bounty Hunters had become like rock stars. Kids idolized them, women loved them, men wanted to be them.

Then Tratzel's Chrome Guard came along. Oh well, nothing wrong with a little healthy competition. When the Jedi got into the mix, though, it started hitting the Guild members where it hurt. They had always been a presence, sometimes more than others, but suddenly they seemed more focused, more competent, like the Order of old. You stopped hearing so much about their failures and heard more about their successes. The combination of these two independent wars against the cartels began to really hurt business for the Guild.

Members began fighting over jobs. There had been deaths. It was not the Guild's way. One of the few codes of honor they were bound by was you didn't kill your own, and you didn't sabotage them. But both became more and more frequent. Those guilty were punished, but it didn't help matters any. What were they supposed to do? A bounty hunter had to eat. Some broke off, becoming independent. But without access to the Guild's database, few were very successful. It became clear the Guild needed someone who could turn things around.

Kevilus Rakter was the first one that came to mind. The title of Chieftain was created - a leader to to offer guidance to an unruly, apprehensive tribe. Many would have simply gotten rid of the weaker members, but Kevilus lived by the belief that only the strong survived, and everyone deserved a chance to earn their place. If they didn't cut it, nature would take its course.

What he needed to do was expand the Guild's operations. They needed more work, first and foremost. So he established contacts all the way to the far Outer Rim and even beyond, extending past Republic influence, even dipping into the Unknown Regions and Wild Space. You had to know the right people to attempt this. You could easily end up lost and at the mercy of open space or smashed into oblivion if you didn't know where you were going.

He'd even met with Tratzel and the Jedi on separate occasions. The Jedi had been reluctant to seek any sort of help from the Guild, as much out of honor as lack of credits. But Tratzel had offered a little work here and there.

All of Kevilus's efforts had proven invaluable to the Guild. But as the years passed, and the wars escalated, they found themselves in the same predicament.

To be fair to his guild, Kevilus had long since stopped admitting new members. And, though it meant eliminating his own pay, he'd reduced guild fees to a bare minimum, in order to put less strain on members' pocketbooks. If Kevilus needed money, he would, and could, continue to collect bounties, though much of his time was now consumed with his duties as Chieftain. And after years of being a very successful bounty hunter, he'd already accumulated quite a sizable nest egg.

Kevilus had eliminated unnecessary spending of Guild funds, even uncovering a few fraudulant members who'd somehow sliced into the Guild system, altering the amount of certain bounties or processing them multiple times in order to benefit themselves. He'd dealt with these individuals personally.

The list went on. But one man could only do so much, and the line of work itself was simply in a huge state of decline, from which it may never recover.

No one blamed Kevilus for the current situation. And he didn't blame his members for fighting amongst themselves. But if it crossed a certain line, he stepped in. After all, the Guild were supposed to be like brothers and sisters. Siblings fight, but they also look out for one another when it matters. Those who didn't share that belief had no place in the Guild. His word was law, and his members would respect it.

'Any members who prefer to turn to a life of crime,' he'd stated, 'will be doing us a favor. But turn your membership in first - I can't have you making the Guild look bad.'

Again, reputation was everything, and not easy to maintain while already living under the shady stigma of being a bounty hunter.

Despite the lengths to which Kevilus went in order to be a good leader, priding himself on being uncorruptable, he made no secret of the fact that he relished in his current position. Every vibe he put out said he belonged there, and he knew it.

Within his stronghold on Bimini V, lounging in his favorite chair, he appeared like a king on his throne.

And this was the first impression Vhinh and Karta got from him upon entering his abode. Jhan had met Kevilus years before, both as a bounty hunter and at Torrentia Galaxica - though hopefully he'd forgotten about that by now - and had known where to find him.

Seeing an image of a Jedi, a padawan and a stunning woman on the security cam, he'd authorized their entry, and his personal bodyguards had let them through.

Being Kevilus Rakter's bodyguard was not a desirable job, but it paid well. Anyone crazy enough to make an attempt on Kevilus's life would certainly have no trouble dispatching his bodyguards. But it was an added security measure the Guild felt necessary for their Chieftain, and it permitted him to let his guard down once in a while when in the comfort of his own stronghold.

The three were led down a long hall to his private chamber. Fine art graced the walls, the hallway lit with elaborately carved sconces, giving it the appearance of an entirely different epoch. Still, the decor was tasteful, not at all what one would expect to find in the den of a dangerous bounty hunter. It only led to more questions of his origins.

Of which Kevilus made no secrets - it was just that most were afraid to ask. The question on most minds - was he Mandalorian? Only partly - though he hated the mental connection that went with it.

Uneducated people still associated Mandalore with the great warrior clans of old. It was like saying if you were from Coruscant, you must be a politician, or if you were Correllian you were a pirate. Mandalore had been, for many millennia now, a peaceful world. There had been several resurgent groups throughout the years, radicals and extremists mostly, who had tried to revive Mandalore's former ideals and ways. But they were strongly rejected by the people, who were ready to settle into the role of a civilized, peaceful nation.

Had Kevilus been trained in the Mando arts of old? Yes and no. As a child, he'd taken an interest in learning of his heritage, but this extended to all of his bloodlines, and in fact history in general. He'd come upon some data files containing demonstrations of the Mando fighting style, and later on, as a Republic soldier, he'd integrated this into his training. When he'd met his mentor, years later, who had led him toward the path to his current trade, he'd learned a hybrid style which was said to be derived from the Mando arts.

The biggest reason people often made the association was that he was just so damn good. The subtle Mandalorian stylings of his armor probably contributed, as well. Mandalorian-inspired armor by this time was very common, especially among bounty hunters, because everyone just thought it was so cool. Most who donned it gave it a bad name, however.

But when people saw someone like Kevilus, wearing the armor he did, who could fight like a raging vinecat, well - it made them want to believe in legends.

When Vhinh, Karta and Jhan entered his chamber, they were surprised to see him unmasked - a rare sight - though still wearing his armor. His light brown hair was close-cropped and dusted with grey, and he looked to be in his mid to late fifties, though his battle-scarred and weathered face no doubt added to his perceived age.

He didn't rise to greet the three, only studied them intently, his eyes finally resting on Karta, who he continued to gaze at while he spoke, as if addressing only her.

"And to what do I owe this pleasure, love?" Perhaps he _was _only speaking to her. His voice was gritty with a thick accent that seemed like some unrefined version of Coruscanti.

Karta only glared back at him, and Vhinh's annoyance was apparent. When he began to respond, Kevilus cut him off.

"Wait, don't tell me..." he raised a mocking hand. "You've come to appeal to my kind spirit in your time of need. Having a little trouble with the Chrome Guard, is that about the jist of it then?"

Vhinh's raised eyebrows indicated he hadn't expected such a close assumption.

"Oh, don't look so shocked," Kevilus commented with a half grin. "I'm privy to the goings-on in the Republic. I have eyes and ears everywhere." His look became serious.

"Then we can all save some time," Vhinh responded. "You know what a dire situation this is - so can we count on you?"

Kevilus laughed. "Not so fast, Jedi - let's not get ahead of ourselves. I _am _running a business, here."

Vhinh looked at him, only a hint condescendingly. "You _do _realize the Sith are trying to overthrow the Republic and enslave the galaxy?"

He seemed unfazed. "The _Sith_, eh? Have a knack for poppin' up when you least expect it, don't they?" He looked thoughtful. "Now, if I remember my history, their big tiff is with the Jedi, innit? Don't take this the wrong way, but that could actually work in my favor, y'know? And I don't seem to recall them having any vendetta against bounty hunters. So I'm afraid you're gonna have to come up with something much better than that to sell me on this one, mate."

Vhinh nodded. "Fair enough. As a businessman, you're of course familiar with the concept of sustainability. If you think things are hard now, imagine, if you will, a galaxy so overrun with fear that even the _criminals _won't act."

Kevilus interrupted. "Now, hold on there. The Sith may be some bad blokes, but they don't mess with the cartels. It's what keeps the wheels turnin', see?"

Vhinh appeared almost smug now. "But I'm sure you're aware that the Hutts, as well as the Jedi, will be ancient history. Now, let me ask, how much do you know of Tratzel's connection to the Tekdaemons?"

The bounty hunter scoffed. "Ah, a politician with criminal ties - well call _Affair Galactic_, we got ourselves a story!"

Vhinh nodded in acknowledgement of the joke. "What if I told you that Tratzel _controls _the Tekdaemons?"

Kevilus regarded him, his sarcastic smile fading. "Bollocks, that's what I'd say!"

"It's _true_." Now Jhan had stepped forward. He'd barely said a word since they'd left Utaru, only mostly staring at nothing in particular. "I can attest to that."

Kevilus looked at him skeptically. "And what qualifies _you_, Padawan? Ain't you a little old for a padawan, anyway?"

"Not important. But we've actually met before, Kevilus. And I have it from a _very _good source." Jhan was now putting himself at great risk, as no doubt the Tekdaemons would have a hefty price on his head if they found out he'd lived.

As Kevilus studied him, he finally perked up. "Ah! I _thought_ you looked familiar. You're that kid what turned on the Tekdaemons aren't ya? I seen you at the _Galaxica_ before. Heard you took quite a dive - they thought you was dead for sure, lad! Y'know, I could get quite a sum for turnin' you in right now. Wouldn't even have to be in one piece - they'd settle for a _head_."

Jhan showed no reaction. "True. But the information we have is even more valuable."

"Yeah, well, we'll just see, won't we? Go on then."

"A few of the heads of the organization - my old bosses - had direct contact with this Sith lord, who actually led the entire organization. Tratzel has now revealed himself as a Sith lord, known as Darth Sceptaurus. We had previously linked Tratzel deeply to the Tekdaemon cartel."

Karta now stepped in. "Tratzel was also behind the disbanding of the Peacekeepers. It seems he had a little stock in everything." She stepped closer, and Kevilus took notice. "Now, if you follow all of this to the conclusion, the outcome doesn't favor any of us. If he succeeds, taking down the Jedi Order, then the Hutts - doesn't really leave your Guild with a lot of _prospects_, does it, Rakter?"

Kevilus raised an eyebrow. "Hmm. You make a good case - assuming you ain't fillin' me full of bollocks!"

"We have no stone-cold proof, only circumstantial evidence," Vhinh admitted. "But we've been right on every hunch so far. In any case, I think it's in everyone's best interests to take Tratzel out of the picture. It isn't just the fate of your Guild at stake, but that of the entire galaxy. We've all seen what Tratzel can do, and this may be our only chance to stop him - but none of us can do it alone. We're confident we can rally the support of the Hutts, as well. Either way, you won't go wrong siding with us - on my _honor_."

Kevilus began clapping, slowly and sarcastically. "Beautiful speech, mate. Almost brings a tear to my eye. But seriously, though, you might almost have me convinced. There is one other thing, though..." he began. "A bounty I simply can't refuse."

With that, he instantly had his blaster drawn.

And trained on Vhinh.

Within a fraction of a second, Karta had her own blaster trained on Kevilus, almost faster than Jhan had drawn his lightsaber.

Kevilus had no noticeable reaction. "It just so happens that our 'Sith lord' in question made contact with me not long before you all arrived. And he has offered a very handsome sum for the delivery of Master Skywalker here. One that no bounty hunter in their right mind would refuse, especially one of my particular talents."

"You _bastard_," Karta sneered.

Kevilus looked almost offended. "Oi, it's just business, love. Nothing more. While your cause is noble, one in my position cannot afford to let personal feelings become involved. And this here bounty will give my entire Guild a well-deserved bonus."

"Take me instead!" Karta blurted out, the desperation evident in her voice.

"That's not going to happen, Karta," Vhinh insisted.

"Mm. Quite a lovely offer, though. As tempting as it is, I'm afraid our Mr. Sith lord was very specific about his request for a 'Master Jedi', not a 'smoking hot babe'. But I'm sure I could arrange some kind of package deal for the lot of ya."

Vhinh put up a hand. "That won't be necessary. If I go quietly, do I have your word that we can count on the support of your guild?"

Kevilus looked as if contemplating this.

"You can't trust a _bounty hunter_!" Karta said snidely, knowing how hypocritical it must sound, but no longer caring.

Vhinh looked at her meaningfully. "Hey, I fell in _love_ with a bounty hunter."

"Ah, touching, that," Kevilus put in. "Very well, then, Jedi. You surrender yourself, and my guild will join your cause." He turned to Karta, pointing his thumb toward his chest. "And my word _is_ my bond, eh? You can bet on that."

"We'll need ships, too," Vhinh added. "Everything you have."

"All at your disposal. Granted it's not much, mate, but my people will fight a good fight. I can _promise _you that."

Vhinh gritted his teeth. "Let's do it, then."

"No!" Karta burst out, grabbing his arm with an iron grip. "There has to be another way. We can do this without his help. We can walk away right now - please." Her eyes pleaded with him.

His face softened. "Karta..." He placed his free hand on the nape of her neck, burying his fingers in her hair. "There _is _no other way. Do you think I would leave you otherwise? He obviously doesn't want me dead. If he did, I wouldn't be standing here."

Karta began shaking her head, his words now barely registering. _How could this be happening_? How could she keep losing everything - everyone she'd ever cared for? She couldn't lose him. She herself would be lost completely - just when her life started to make sense again. Karta wanted to beg, plead, bargain - put a blaster bolt through Kevilus Rakter's head - _anything_ to escape this reality that was playing out before her.

_Karta._

"Karta!"

Vhinh shook her out of her daze. "We _do _need him. And I need _you_ - both of you - to see this _through_."

_I can't_, she thought. _Not without you. I just don't care anymore._ She wanted to say it. But she knew he would just say some tender words - the kind that made her fall in love with him - about how important she was to him, that she needed to go on for him; and she wouldn't be able to refuse.

_No_, she was strong. She didn't want to make this worse on him. So she would put on a brave face. And dedicate every remaining hour to getting him back - and making Tratzel (Darth Sceptaurus) pay, for all he'd taken from her, from _all _of them. She slowly nodded, though the look in her eyes may have betrayed the resolve she tried to show.

"Jhan." Vhinh turned to his former padawan. "As of now, you're a Jedi, for all intents and purposes. When this is all over, if the Order still stands, your training is to resume where you left off. I've seen your potential, and I have faith that you'll see it through. You will be great one day - and today may be that day." Jhan would have been overjoyed at this honor, but it was bittersweet now, just like everything else. He only bowed his head in acknowledgement. "I wish that Master Nevil take my seat in the Council to represent Fi'ar'la. These will be my last acts as council member of the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la."

"It will be done, Master," Jhan said grimly.

Then Vhinh held Karta in his arms and pulled her close, staring deeply into her eyes. "Thank you."

Those two words conveyed everything; their love, their unity - that their brief time together had been well spent, and in this moment, there could be no regrets. It made her love for him even stronger, though she'd previously not thought that possible.

They shared a long kiss, not wanting it to end, but knowing it must. Lives were at stake. They were but two casualties in this quickly escalating war - but if they could somehow prevent more suffering, a part of them would live on; maybe in some other consciousness, maybe everywhere. It was in this moment she felt she understood him better than ever before, on an entirely different level. Was he doing this - somehow imparting his will; his heart - unto her?

She let herself go, and there was no fear. There were no walls, no floor; there was no Vhinh or Karta. The galaxy, and all the life it contained, was one living, breathing unit; and she loved it. There was no time; this moment _could_ last forever.

Karta now truly felt like the wife of a Jedi. She remembered the story Vhinh had told her, told to him by his master while still a padawan, of Liita Rulon. It made sense now.

The kiss ended then. How long had that moment lasted? An eternity - or a nanosecond? It was all the same. Now, he simply gazed at her, his face devoid of expression but carrying all the emotion in the galaxy. He knew. It _had _been him. A final gift to her.

He gently released his grip on her, and only their hands remained intertwined as he slowly backed away, never taking his eyes off her. As they drifted apart, their arms outstretched, she didn't try to hold on, instead letting their fingers glide over one another.

The Jedi now believed that love could exist without the looming shadow of attachment. Karta had come to understand this. But in that instant where their fingers ceased to be in contact, she let out a gasp, as if suddenly having the wind knocked out of her; a return to the physical world.

"Remember: no matter what happens, I'll always be with you," he said then, glancing to Jhan as well.

The same words Vhinh had said to him as a padawan; only now they left a bitter sting. He'd said those words outside Edala's door, before he'd left the temple - and her.

"Alright, mate, let's get on with it, then - you're almost making me regret this," said Kevilus, placing a hand on Vhinh's shoulder.

He was doing this for his people, as the others were for their own. In a way, they were all victims of the evil in the universe. In a way, they were all victims of Darth Sceptaurus. And this was Karta's thought as she watched her husband of barely a day being taken from her.

* * *

><p>When Raha lifted the Chrome Guard's mask from his face, she had no idea what she would find - but was certainly not prepared for what she did.<p>

She would probably never forget that face; she'd been with him for his dying breath. And here was that same face right in front of her. Now, as Master Vil beside her prepared to do the same, he had no idea what had brought about the look of shock Raha now held. But when he lifted the mask of the second Chrome Guard, he knew, and they exchanged a look that said this was not good. This was not good at all.

Clones. Highly illegal, and for good reason. All known cloning facilities had long ago been shut down completely. And as much for the moral implications as the potential for misuse.

This explained where the Chrome Guard were coming from, and how they had grown so drastically in numbers; and it warned that, with the kind of funds Tratzel had at his disposal - they could be virtually limitless.

While this information, in and of itself, would have been invaluable prior to the events at the House of the Senate - enough to launch a full-scale investigation on Tratzel and possibly have him removed from office - it was practically useless now that he'd made his move and shown his true power. But it did shed some light onto just what they were dealing with. Now it was a matter of how much information they could gain through these Chrome Guard; their true numbers, possible tactics - locations of bases, or the facility itself. This could be _quite _useful. Obtaining it would be the trick.

When the first Chrome Guard came to, he immediately started freaking out. Raha had wondered if these guards would have the same reaction at having their masks removed as the one she'd encountered on Coruscant.

"My mask! Where is it? I can't breathe!" By his frenzied ramblings, it was now apparent Darth Sceptaurus had somehow brainwashed them into believing they required these masks to simply breathe the air of a normally hospitable environment. Which, of course, was not true, as this guard's breathing patterns had been fine before he'd awoken.

What an ideal way to ensure their identities remained hidden to the outside world - or even themselves! Did they even know they were clones? What other forms of enslavement had these Sith - these _human beings _been subjected to? The Jedi would soon find out.

"Give him the shot," Raha told Sett Kataris after repeated attempts to calm the guard down.

The shot, a mild sedative, would calm his nerves, while still keeping him lucid - a requirement for the next phase. As Sett administered the shot, the guard quieted considerably and his struggling visibly relaxed. The protests continued, but they were calmer now, allowing Raha to get a word in edgewise.

"I need my mask," he insisted.

"You are breathing fine," Raha replied in a soothing tone. "Do you not see that?"

"You are Jedi - you can't be trusted. You mean to kill me," he retorted. Though his body was more relaxed, his mind seemed not able to accept the new found knowledge.

"If that were true, would you not be dead already?" she challenged.

"Then what do you want with me, _Jedi_?" There was an undertone of hatred in his voice, but it lacked the bite one would expect from a Sith.

"I only wish to help you, along with all others who now suffer because of your master."

"Jedi seek to help no one - only to control."

"My friend, you have been grossly misinformed. Perhaps it is your master you should not so freely place your trust in. How much has he told you about who you really are?"

"My _masters _needn't tell me anything of my past - it is something I denounced when I pledged myself to the Sith Order."

"And were you given a choice in the matter? Are you _aware _that you are a clone?"

"A _clone_?" He spoke as if he'd never heard the word. "Why do you _lie_, Jedi? I was born to two parents just as you were - not that it is any business of yours."

Things were becoming much more clear now.

"Then why do you and your brothers wear the same face?"

"Another lie," he said, quickly dismissing her words.

"_I _am here to dispell the lies of your _master_, my friend. May I ask you - have you ever gazed upon your own reflection?"

"Long ago. Before - " Then he was silent, almost as if something was preventing him from speaking.

"Before _what_?" she urged.

He shook his head. "No. I will reveal _nothing_, Jedi. I'd sooner die. And I will not believe your lies."

"But you do believe your own _eyes_, yes?" Raha picked up a small chrome serving tray that lay on the table beside her, holding it up to him. She disliked doing this, but felt it would be even more cruel to let this man go on believing a lie.

He was reluctant to look, but his curiosity obviously got the best of him, and he chanced a glance. He then looked again to his comrade, who was now beginning to come to, then back to his own reflection. His eyes went wide.

"What Jedi witchcraft _is _this?!"

"There is no trickery involved; it is only the truth you see. And for the first time, it seems."

The other guard was fully awake now, and launched into a similar display as his friend.

"Tell your brother he has nothing to fear, and that he can breathe fine without his mask," Raha asked of the first guard.

"I'll do no such thing, Jedi. You are playing mind tricks of some sort - you cannot be trusted."

It was clear there was no reasoning with one so far gone. He was programmed to believe a certain way, and nothing she said would change that. She lowered her head.

"The shot, Sett."

Her ally plunged a second needle into the newly awakened Chrome Guard, and his fervor slowly receded.

"Allow me to be very clear on the situation we are faced with," she said, addressing both guards. "You claim allegiance to the Sith Order, an ancient enemy of both the Jedi and the Republic. Though you have been charged with no crimes, your affiliation with Darth Sceptaurus and the Sith Order has made you war criminals, and you will be held as such."

She folded her hands, bowing her head briefly. "I am saddened by the oppressed roles you have both been cast into. I believe that all beings are entitled to a life of liberty. Therefore, I would like to offer you that chance. Supply me with the information I require, and I can guarantee we will do everything in our power to protect you. Once the Republic is restored, you will be granted a full pardon. Please understand that this is a second chance for each of you, and should not be taken lightly. So..." She scanned their faces. "What say you?"

"I will give you my answer, _Jedi_ - and my brother will agree, because we are of like mind," said the first guard, nodding toward the other. "We will _never_ help the Jedi Order. The Republic has been taken, and soon the new Sith Empire will rule the galaxy, and all Jedi will be exterminated."

"What do you even _know _of the Sith?" she demanded, obviously growing frustrated. "They have been dead for milliennia! You are but pawns of your master, who uses you to achieve his personal goals."

"Our master has shown us the path to great power. The Sith Order never died, only waited for the chance to reclaim its rightful place. And now we will be part of this great empire."

Raha laughed. "You will be _slaves_, only _serving _this empire you claim to be a part of!"

The guard studied her. "And is that not what you are to the Republic?"

"I serve the Republic by _choice_, because I believe in _freedom_! An empire seeks to enslave and impose its will upon the people. You use your powers to spread pain and suffering, and it eats at your insides. I help those in need, even ones such as yourselves. I am at peace, both in life and death!"

Her loss of composure betrayed her words, and Master Vil placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You do not seem at peace, Jedi," the guard responded smugly. Then, he became very serious. "You are conflicted. Your way _sounds_ noble, but it is not in your nature. There is so much more you do not see. Why not give in to your emotions, so that you may realize your full potential? It is not to late to join us."

Raha only stared at him for a moment, looking incredulous. "Oh, we are _so _not having this conversation!"

At that, she turned away from the guard, walked to the other side of the cabin and drew a shaky breath. She hadn't realized how angry she had become until that very moment. But the Chrome Guard had. And he'd tried to exploit it. These men were well-versed in Sith philosophy.

Raha wondered how Eulian Tratzel, aka Darth Sceptaurus, had found the time to train so many soldiers in addition to his other known ventures. The guard had mentioned his 'masters'. So was there more than one? And if so, how many? Hopefully, the next step would reveal the answer to this and other questions.

Sett Kataris came to stand by her side.

"This is harder than I thought it would be," she said without looking at him.

"Hey, you handled it amazingly well. I'd have probably hit him with the butt end of my lightsaber by now."

She looked at Sett, giving him a half-grin. "How do you talk to someone who won't even listen to reason?" she begged.

"Sometimes you don't. These guys are too far gone. Their master really got to them. And you did everything that could be expected. You almost reminded me of Grand Master Vilaska over there." He winced. The instant he'd said it, he remembered.

Raha hung her head, and Sett gave her shoulder a tender squeeze. "Sorry."

"It's okay," she said. "I'm honored by the comparison. But Master Vilaska would have kept her cool much better, I suspect. I'll have to keep my anger in check if I'm ever to do justice to her memory."

"I think we could all take a lesson from her in that respect."

Raha exhaled sharply. "Well, I guess it's on to the fun part," she said sarcastically. "So, who gets to do the honors?"

She removed a small, darkened vile from her robe.

Glitterstim. Once the most dangerous and sought-after spice in the galaxy; now one of a few. Though known to produce a powerful high, the fact that it also gave the user temporary telepathic abilities was what had kept it such a valuable commodity, particularly with law enforcement and the military. While it had been closely regulated and labeled a controlled substance, it always managed to make its way to the black market.

Its only known source had once been the planet Kessel, a former mining world that had been swallowed by the black hole cluster known as The Maw a few thousand years ago. A strange spider-like creature native to the planet was found to be the sole origin of this mysterious spice.

Before Kessel's inevitable demise, efforts had been made to relocate some of these creatures to another environment where they could thrive and their valuable spice could be mined. The first attempts had not gone so smoothly.

The creatures themselves were photo-sensitive, it turned out, much like the spice they produced. So, when the first of its kind was brought to the surface, it literally exploded. This caused a tunnel to collapse, and many of the expeditioners were buried alive.

Once this factor had been accounted for, the problem had been keeping the creature alive in the new environment. They simply wouldn't stay alive. It turned out a certain bacteria, which helped balance the creature's pH levels, could only reproduce under very specific conditions.

Running out of time to find a world that met those conditions, they simply created them in a lab. Because of this, and the fact that glitterstim was an addictive mind-altering substance, the Jedi were morally opposed to its usage.

However, these were desperate times.

"Well, you spearheaded this operation, Raha. I think it's only fair that privilege go to you." Sett offered, only half-jokingly.

"Yeah, I was afraid you'd say that."

She once again approached the two Chrome Guard, and began slowly opening the vial. "Any information you refuse to share will be taken. I'd prefer not to go this route, so I'll give you both one more chance to comply."

The two guard only glared at her in silence.

"No? Very well then."

Before she had the vial open, Master Vil warned, "Be careful, Raha. You are venturing into unknown territory. The mind of a Sith can be very dangerous and seductive."

The guard now stared at her with a taunting grin. This was a fact he was well aware of, and would play on.

Raha steeled her gaze. "I will, Master."

Even having never used the spice herself, Raha was familiar with the process. She'd seen enough holovids glamorizing the drug to get the idea.

Opening the vial, she pulled out the glitterstim itself, which was wrapped in a thin, crinkly paper. She could feel the spice beneath the paper, almost like long shards of glass. _What had originally possessed someone to put this in their mouth? _she wondered. Pulling the paper away, she watched as the shimmering spice began crackling and popping, and this only reinforced the absurdity of the entire practice. But she did as well, quickly before the spice lost its potency.

It was an unpleasant sensation at first, feeling like several tiny explosions inside her mouth, and those watching could see the sparks emmitted from her mouth. But when she bit down on the spice, the feeling changed.

At first, it felt like broken glass, but then a numbing sensation began to come over her. Starting in her mouth and gums, it gradually worked its way through her entire body. It wasn't like the physical disconnect that could be achieved by a Force user through deep meditation; it was more like every atom in her body came to life, and she felt both energized and relaxed at the same time.

Try as she might, she couldn't deny it was a very pleasurable feeling, and this was no doubt one of the lures of the spice. But she had also heard that this feeling became weaker with each use, until frequent users felt they needed the spice just to feel normal. She could see how someone would chase the feeling, and what a miserable existence it would be when it had reached that point.

Then the telepathy began to kick in. It wasn't only the Chrome Guard in front of her, as she'd mistakenly believed it would be, but everyone in the cabin around her. Not like reading someone's mind as she'd imagined, or like the visions that could come through the Force, it was as if their thoughts became her own, and she could sort through them as easily as remembering what she'd had for breakfast that morning.

Without even trying, she got a glimpse into Master Vil's plethora of knowledge, and Sett Kataris's guilt over a Jedi mandate he'd broken as a padawan, unbeknownst to his masters. But Raha had no desire to invade the privacy of her Jedi brethren, only to accomplish what she'd set out to.

So she tried to silence the thoughts of the others, focusing only on the two Chrome Guard in front of her. It was harder than she thought, not at all like the concentration techniques she'd practiced in her training. But then she allowed herself to become immersed in the consciousness of the Chrome Guard in front of her.

And now, Master Vil's warning made sense. In this moment, she became one of the Chrome Guard. She became Sith.

She felt a complete lack of conscience, only purpose - and it was such a freeing experience. She saw power, easily obtained, that could make all of her goals a reality. By controlling the Force, taking command of it, rather than the listening and speaking to it learned through years and years of discipline, she could unlock this great potential to become whatever she wanted, limited only by her own will. She saw memories of grueling training, where she could practically see the results, watching herself grow stronger each day.

While entertaining all these thoughts, she saw many possibilities. She would eventually have to kill her master.

But no - something cut off this thought before it could be processed. She knew only complete loyalty and gratitude as far as Darth Sceptaurus was concerned. His word was law. The same went for Darth Zin, who she'd once known as Koren. And the same had gone for Sada, his former master and mother of Koren, before she was slain by the Jedi. But only because Darth Sceptaurus commanded it. His word was the only one that overruled Zin's. If Zin ever made an attempt on Sceptaurus's life, she would lay down her own to stop him.

Sada's death, at the hands of Koren's real father, would be avenged. Vhinh Skywalker would die.

She had vague flashes of her parents from early childhood, nothing more. She knew their names and where they were from, but everything else was now a mystery. Apparently, when she'd met Darth Sceptaurus all else had been forgotten. Now she knew only this life.

Her cramped quarters, barely larger than the fresher on this very ship, part of a massive colony on some distant world, of which she was not even allowed to know the location. This was the homeworld that she had left when deployed to serve Eulian Tratzel's Chrome Guard.

Though stationed at Galacom Headquarters, she did not report to Tratzel directly, but his droid personal assistant, Eos, who seemed to have a very broad view of all Tratzel's dealings. Unless accompanying Tratzel on some important business trip, Eos normally remained at the headquarters in Galiston. Their task of protecting this droid was second only to protecting Tratzel himself.

All of this was her life. A life of servitude? No, she was part of something bigger than most could ever realize. The feeling of being in the Sith Order was empowering in and of itself. There was no truth other than the ways of the Sith. There was no power other than the dark side of the Force. The Sith would always win out in the end, because light always gives way to darkness.

But wait - she was only seeing the life of another. She was a Jedi (a failure). She served the light (weakness). She protected the Republic (now no more). This information she'd obtained (useless) could help the Jedi Order (to fail).

_Why am I doing this? I've gained nothing. The Sith will inherit the galaxy. There is nothing we can do to stop them. But I could be on the winning team. How easy it would be right now, to free my new brothers from their restraints and join my new master. And one day, I _could_ kill him. Because my will is my own. I know where many of the Jedi hide. I could help my new master destroy them, and we would rule..._

_NO!_

_Love is the only truth. A single candle can light the darkest room. Total darkness exists in nothing. A raging inferno can be born of a single spark, but when all is devoured, so too is the inferno with no spark to ignite it. That spark is life. _I_ am life. I am Jedi. I am Raha Dima. _

_I am Raha Dima..._

Slowly, the connections began to fade, and she was left with her own consciousness. Only the memories remained.

"Master..." she said as she sunk to her knees, eyes closed, touching her fingertips to her temples.

Master Vil hurried over to her.

"I nearly lost myself. I'm sorry..." She felt as if a war had taken place inside her head. Things were still foggy, and on top of this, she began to feel the unpleasant after effects of the glitterstim.

"But you have prevailed, Raha. You have seen through the eyes of the dark side and returned," Master Vil said reassuringly.

"But I thought such horrible things!" She shook her head vigorously, as if trying to shake off the evil she had allowed to penetrate her mind.

"All the dark side of the Force talking, Raha. Many would succumb to its will. But you've stayed true to yourself, and true to the Jedi Order."

"I may have risked it all for nothing, Master. I don't know if we can really use any of the information I've gained."

"All will aid us in better understanding our enemy - a key to winning any war."

So Raha shared all she'd learned with an open mind, careful not to omit any detail. Somehow, she felt it fell short. If only they had a location for this planet. But apparently Darth Sceptaurus kept his most vital information closely guarded.

The thing about Vhinh Skywalker - being the father of this Sith lord known as Darth Zin - that had _really _struck a chord with her. She'd never met Master Skywalker personally, but all Jedi knew the name. He was part of the Council and represented the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la. But _murder_? She found this hard to believe. If any Jedi had slain a Sith lord, the Order would have been made aware of it. She knew they had to make contact with Master Skywalker, if for nothing else than to warn him of this vendetta against him.

When Raha had relayed all the information to him, Master Vil appeared to be deep in thought. Then he activated his com.

"Head back to the rendezvous point," he said to their pilot, Jedi Knight Kades Vahm.

Then he switched it off, looking to Sett and Raha. "This information is valuable indeed, Raha. It may not clearly reveal our next step, but it may provide us with a place to start."


	8. Chapter 8

**-8-**

* * *

><p>Darth Sceptaurus, upon receiving the transmission from his droid Eos that Vhinh Skywalker had been apprehended, hastily departed from the House of the Senate, leaving his small army of Chrome Guard to handle the situation. He was confident they would have no problems. If the Jedi tried anything, the members of the House would die, simple as that - and the Jedi would not take that risk.<p>

_So predictable; almost too easy._

At the moment, Vhinh Skywalker was a person of great interest to him. And even greater interest to Darth Zin. This little gift to his apprentice would ensure Zin's continued loyalty and focus.

He was glad he hadn't decided to have Sada eliminate Skywalker early on, because it had worked well in his favor. Besides, it would have drawn unwanted attention, which may have caused unseen complications during the very early stages of his plans.

The fact that his plans of conquest had reached this critical stage was still sinking in. It was almost surreal. He had the House of the Senate, and he'd forced each member to sign away their allegiance to him, under penalty of treason.

And they knew what the penalty was for treason - they'd seen it firsthand.

Forcing the submission of the senators was really more of a formality, as nothing could really stop him at this point from imposing his will on the galaxy. He had a vast army of Sith warriors at his disposal, each worth at least two Jedi knights by his estimation. His army had already struck a damaging blow to the Jedi, and their surrender at the House of the Senate would only add to their already numerous casualties.

In addition to the impressive armada of ships he'd built up over the decades, he still had _The Omen_, which had no match in size, durability or firepower. It would take the entire remains of the once-great Republic Navy to take down _The Omen_, and he was confident he could focibly retain much of the navy, especially with his position as Supreme Commander and his control of the Senate.

Lastly, he still controlled the largest crime cartel in the galaxy, though severely diminished by now. Soon, the Tekdaemons would be back to their former glory, the Hutts would be no more, and he would rule on all fronts. He would force every system to submit to his will under the new empire, and he would control the streets as well, dispensing his Tekdaemons to take care of issues that were to remain 'off the record'.

Not that it would matter, at that point. But he would at least give the illusion of law and order to the people. This would make them easier to control.

When his grip on the area of the galaxy that was the former Republic had been solidified, he had no plans of stopping there. He already had a solid base of operations in the Unknown Regions with his installation on Xadox, from which he could continue to expand outward.

The New Sith Empire would reach unseen heights in size and greatness. With his near infinite resources, and the power to cheat death itself, the only limit would be that of his own imagination.

* * *

><p>With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Karta ventured into the dank lair of Zabra the Hutt.<p>

Alone.

Jhan was currently off dealing with another matter. At a time like this, it sure would have been nice to have Nars around. While she could usually hold her own in a fight, his presence had given her comfort through many dark times. And then there had been Vhinh. He'd brought a little stability back into her life. She'd finally begun to heal. And just when she felt like she could do so much as use the fresher without constantly looking over her shoulder, he'd been ripped away from her.

But she was determined to get him back - or die trying. Anything would be preferable to this.

Some interesting information had come to light as a result of a small Jedi task force. Mostly concerning the Chrome Guard, but nothing they could immediately utilize. What did concern her, though, was the information about Vhinh. She'd been contacted directly, after several attempts made by Raha Dima to reach him.

His son - a Sith lord? How was this possible? And his mother, Sada, dead by Vhinh's hand - the whole thing reeked of deception. Where was Nea, the one Vhinh had told her about? Wasn't _she _the mother? Was it possible her and Sada were one and the same? Vhinh would have seen this, had it been the case. But then _how_?

She feared for him. And hurt for him. He may soon be reunited with his long-lost son, but it would be his biggest fears realized. Her heart ached. She longed to be there with him through this ordeal.

If nothing else, she could take comfort in the fact that Sceptaurus had obviously wanted him alive - at least for now. But if this Darth Zin - Koren - really believed Vhinh was responsible for his mother's death, it could end very badly.

Karta knew it wasn't Vhinh who was responsible, though. And it didn't take a genius to figure out who was; though the man in question was admittedly very good at covering his tracks.

_Wait a minute! _

_The datacorder! _Amid all the chaos that had transpired, she'd almost forgotten. But where was it now? If it was in the archive vault, there was no way she was getting to it. Only council members could unlock the vault - and the last remaining council member of the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la was currently in binders, on his way to meet Darth Sceptaurus! Her only hope was that it would be in the quarters they'd shared at the temple.

And then what? Try to appeal to a _Sith lord_ to clear Vhinh's name? Though she had no firsthand experience, she guessed they wouldn't be easy to reason with. She didn't even know where to find them anyway. She'd tried to sneak a tracker onto Kevilus's ship, but, being the adept bounty hunter he was, he'd caught it, gently scolding her but applauding her effort.

Had he not been the one to deliver her husband to his impending death, she may have had a lot of respect for Kevilus. But as it was, she wished him dead along with Tratzel and the rest.

_Okay, first things first, Karta. Let's get this little meeting out of the way._

She knew that Vhinh would have objected to her entering such a seedy place by herself. But he wasn't here. And it only took one person to carry on a conversation with a Hutt, last she checked. Jhan had given her a couple contacts and helped her track Zabra down - the rest was up to her.

She hadn't gotten far when two of Zabra's guards, a Kaleesh and a Noghri, greeted her - or more like bombarded her. The Noghri quickly restrained her while the Kaleesh patted her down.

"Easy there, big guy, or I'll make you buy me dinner!" she quipped.

"State the reason you are here!" he barked back, paying her no mind.

"Well, it's not pleasure, I'll tell you that much!"

The Kaleesh snarled at her, causing her to flinch slightly.

"Alright, alright..." She put her hands up in a calming gesture. "I need to see Zabra. It's an urgent matter concerning the very future of his great empire." There was only a hint of mockery in her voice.

"And what qualifies you to make such a claim?" the Kaleesh questioned her.

She smirked. "I happen to have inside information concerning both Eulain Tratzel _and _the Tekdaemon cartel that will be of great interest to Zabra."

The Kaleesh narrowed his eyes, then exchanged a few words with the Noghri that she couldn't understand. Then he removed a small scanner and made several passes over her.

Why all the extra security? Normally if you entered a place like this and you weren't armed, they handed you a blaster and a bottle of Correllian ale and waved you through. Had Zabra angered someone? Did he have a reason to be fearful, or was he just being paranoid? Either way, she would definitely play on that factor when making her argument. Suddenly she knew that coaxing this Hutt to their side would be child's play.

"Let's go," the Kaleesh finally said.

As they led her through a hallway filled with sketchy looking lowlives, many of which it was unclear whether they wished to kill her or worse, she remained poised with her head high. She had this.

Entering Zabra's chamber, she saw more scum hovering here and there, and horribly cheesy music playing in the background that made her cringe almost as much as the beady eyes of the thugs around her. Then there lay Zabra, in all his majesty. His eyes appeared hazy and bloodshot, and she couldn't tell if he had partaken in too many party favors or if he always looked like that. The Kaleesh got his attention, and he eventually came to focus on her.

"Why do you interrupt my festivities?" he asked.

She crossed her arms, and her stance reeked of confidence. There was no need for pleasantries - she planned on cutting right to the chase.

"I came to tell you why it would be in your best interests to join our war effort."

* * *

><p>Back at the House of the Senate, the tone was grim. The twenty-four hour deadline was nearing its end. The last few members of the senate were now being escorted out of the building, in each one's place a Jedi, bound and awaiting his or her fate.<p>

Jedi from every temple had come to lay down their own lives for those of the House - in fact, more than enough to account for each member. Those left maintained a silent vigil outside, ready to make their final stand and die with their comrades.

Once the last few members of the senate had been released, a few tried to push themselves through in desperation, but were held back or cut down. All entrances were then quickly sealed; there was no way in or out. The House of the Senate now truly was a death trap - except for the fact that the Jedi had entered willingly.

The time drew near; the executions were about to begin. The floor of the House of the Senate was about to become a killing floor. As the Chrome Guard prepared to force them down, the Jedi exchanged nervous glances. With the members of the senate now safe, they could make some attempt at self-preservation - and the Chrome Guard knew this.

What now transpired was like a psychological cold war. The Jedi, feeling through the Force for an opening, anything they could use - a Chrome Guard's vibrosword, a way to throw one of them off balance - and the guard with their defenses up, ready to thwart any attempt.

Grand Master Vilaska and a few of the other masters would have an easier time against the Chrome Guard who, though incredibly strong in the dark side, did not have the years of training and experience they possessed. Even so, no matter what the Jedi tried, and no matter if they were successful, they were already at a huge disadvantage.

Without their lightsabers, and with their hands bound, the most they could hope to do was slow the Chrome Guard down. A few may even be able to get ahold of vibroswords and do some damage, even free some of their friends - maybe even take down a couple Chrome Guard - but they would all die in the end. Darth Sceptaurus knew this.

They knew what they were getting into, knew that Sceptaurus wouldn't leave them with any option but to die. Still, they had to fight. It was a Jedi trait to know when you were defeated, but to never give up hope.

The room was quiet like the calm before a storm, but not a single mind lay dormant. The only sound, barely audible, was a high-pitched whine emerging from outside in the distance. Only a passing ship.

But the sound grew louder, quickly becoming a roar, until it was impossible to ignore. Then, in an explosion of mortar and durasteel, the Jedi's hope was answered.

Debris flew every which way, knocking some to the floor. The room became clouded with dust, confusion spreading with it. But before the dust began to settle, the sounds of a violent struggle emerged. The brutal sounds of vibroswords cutting flesh could be heard along with the clattering of metal armor colliding with the hard floor below.

Then, filtering in from the source of the chaos came a stream of green and blue luminescence that shone through the clouds of dust like a ray of hope.

As the dust began to subside, there, where once had been a wall, hovered a Qu'an're ZX380 battle cruiser, fitted with a heavy fore section ram. A true pirate ship. As quickly as its presence became known, out of its open side hatches came a fitting army of imposing figures, blasters blazing, led by a single robed individual wielding a blue lightsaber.

Jhanopellis Udo, wasting no time in joining the fray, began immediately concentrating his efforts on cutting loose as many of his captive allies as possible, while the other invading Jedi followed suit.

His accompanying crew of what now appeared to be bounty hunters focused their fire on the Chrome Guard, cutting many down while they still struggled to maintain control of their Jedi captives. Jhan, though now heavily engaged in battle, frantically scanned the ensuing disorder for one face in particular.

Meanwhile, last out of the ship came a looming figure that plagued the nightmares of all he hunted. Tuk'lak'to'buk, as large as a wampa and twice as fearsome, nearly shook the room with his thunderous battle roar as he burst upon the scene.

If the words wookie and bounty hunter in conjunction didn't strike fear into the hearts of his prey, his mammoth proportions and killer instinct would. To most a freak of nature; to criminal and rival bounty hunters alike just plain bad luck.

Wielding a two-handed blaster cannon with one massive paw, his other was left free to claw and smash his way through Chrome Guard - which he did. As he landed amid the chaos, Chrome Guard and Jedi took a step back. Those who witnessed shuddered as he hammer-fisted one Chrome Guard to the ground, planted his mammoth foot on the guard's back, and pulled up on both his arms, yanking them clean off. The sound of ripping flesh would long be a fixture in the minds of all within earshot.

Perhaps even more shocking a display, though, was the sight of Grand Master Vilaska, seated calmly on the floor, as if in deep meditation, seemingly oblivious to the carnage. Motionless, but not inactive; one by one, Chrome Guard surrounding her were thrown like rag dolls into the walls of the room at great velocity, falling to the floor dazed, unconscious or worse.

Jhan, finally spotting the object of his search, let out a huge sigh of relief. Edala, still in binders, was mounting quite a defense of her own, sweeping and tackling Chrome Guard while avoiding their incoming blades as if performing a deadly dance. Bounding off several combatants, Jhan made his way to her until they stood back to back.

"Need a hand?" he asked.

"Two would be better," she responded.

With a flick of his wrist, he severed her restraints just as she drew a fallen Chrome Guard's vibrosword to her waiting grasp. Quickly taking to the weapon as if it were her own, she blocked, dodged, then broke through a Chrome Guard's defenses. Knocking his sword from his hand, she then relieved him of the now unnecessary appendage as well.

Jhan, using a lightsaber in actual combat for only the first time in over ten years, was not faring as well. Seeing him losing ground to a Chrome Guard, she rushed to his aid, overwhelming the guard seemingly effortlessly.

"Damn, you've gotten good, Dal!" he exclaimed.

"And you've gotten rusty," she teased, flashing him a playful smile, the kind he hadn't seen since their youth. His whole face brightened, and he couldn't help but smile back.

Then, her expression suddenly became fearful, and she reached out for him, as if about to speak. Wondering what it was she saw, he started to turn around, then felt a cold sensation. He looked down to see a vibroblade jutting out of his midsection. His face went pale, and he looked back to her in confusion.

Edala watched in horror as the Chrome Guard behind him withdrew the blade and he slowly sunk to the floor. She let out a long, agonized scream. "_Jhan!"_

The body language of the Chrome Guard only further taunted her; if she could see behind the mask, she knew he would be wearing a sadistic grin. Catching Jhan through the Force before he came crashing to the floor, with a livid grunt of exertion she force-pushed the guard, sending him flying back across the room.

Hurrying to Jhan, she removed her outer robe and began frantically wrapping it around his midsection. The fabric quickly became soaked, and soon her hands were covered with blood as well.

"Jhan..." Seeing no signs of life, she began gently slapping his face, slowly at first, then more fiercely. "No... please... no, no... _noooooooo_!"

She burst into full tears then, pressing her face against his, cradling his head in her blood-stained arms. Now detached from the happenings around her, she only responded to a hand on her shoulder, shaking her. She jerked back, reverting to a defensive position, then saw a bounty hunter standing over her, motioning her up.

"Come on! We're going!" he said.

Looking around, she saw the battle dying down, Jedi and bounty hunters both slowly filing aboard the ship while trying to hold the remaining Chrome Guard at bay. Live to fight another day.

"Come on," the bounty hunter said again, bending down to grab Jhan's legs. She finally snapped to attention, helping him usher Jhan's body up the ship's entrance ramp.

"Please tell me you have a med droid on board," she begged.

"Yeah. This way," he said, leading her down a corridor in the cabin section of the ship.

The remaining Jedi were filing in, the bounty hunters providing them with sufficient cover fire. Though the rescue attempt had been successful, their losses were great. They may have stayed and won this battle, but it wasn't total annihilation that they sought. That wasn't the Jedi way. Better to regroup and strategize. They already knew the odds were stacked against them, so if they had any chance in this war, it wouldn't be through sheer force.

Reaching the med center, Edala and the bounty hunter carefully eased Jhan's body onto a gurney as a med droid made its way to them.

"It's a vibrosword wound. Please..." Edala began. "You have to help him!"

The droid performed a full body scan of Jhan, then spoke.

"Vital signs are weak, but present. It appears he is in shock."

Edala breathed a sigh of relief. "So he'll survive?"

"It is unclear at this point. There is massive blood loss. More scans must be done to determine the damage. When a reciprocating blade pierces a vital organ, the damage is irreparable."

Edala wanted to shake the droid and say _That's not what I want to hear right now! You save him, I don't care _what _you have to do! _But she said simply, "Then hurry!"

"I will do everything possible, my lady."

* * *

><p>"And I trust you have delivered the subject alive, as requested," Darth Sceptaurus inquired to Kevilus Rakter upon reaching their meeting point.<p>

"That isn't even a question, my lord. I always deliver. That's why you hired me," Kevilus responded.

"Excellent. You work fast, bounty hunter. Now, let me see our subject in the flesh."

"As you wish."

Kevilus entered the cabin area of his ship, which had been converted into a rather large holding cell with enough room to detain a small army if need be. Vhinh Skywalker then emerged, Kevilus close behind, blaster at the ready.

Sceptaurus studied Skywalker. "Yes, this is indeed the Skywalker I requested." Vhinh glared back at him. "Guards, load him onto the ship."

A group of four Chrome Guard strode over to Vhinh, pushing him toward the entrance ramp of Sceptaurus's private shuttle, and they disappeared inside.

Darth Sceptaurus hit a few buttons on a datapad he held. "The credits have been transferred to your account. I have also added a little bonus for the timely delivery."

Kevilus activated his own datapad, verifying the transaction. Even through his mask, the surprise was apparent.

"That's very generous of you, my lord."

"There is plenty more where that came from. I will surely require the services of you and your guild again."

"You know how to reach me."

Without another word or any kind of acknowledgement, Darth Sceptaurus turned on his heel and strode onto the ship's entrance ramp. Kevilus watched as the hatch closed, and the ship's thrusters fired up. Apparently, nothing had yet gone down with the Jedi and the Guild, or he likely would have heard about it. Not that Sceptaurus could complain - they were free agents, after all. But it would be a conflict of interest, and could cause some complications.

The substantial bonus Darth Sceptaurus had thrown in had no doubt been an incentive to remain in service of the Sith lord. It almost made him question whether he'd made the right choice in his allegiance. But the Jedi had made a good case, and it did stand to reason that things would be bleak at best for the bounty hunters under Sith rule.

Besides, he'd been a successful mercenary for many years, and had profited greatly. Maybe it was once again time to fight for a cause.

* * *

><p>In the cabin area of Darth Sceptaurus's personal shuttle, Vhinh stood, bound to the cabin wall, surrounded by the four Chrome Guard who'd brought him there. Racing through his mind were questions of 'why him?'. Of course he was relieved the bounty hunter hadn't set his sights on Karta or Jhan, who both had bounties on them as well - but was that oversight, Kevilus's good graces or that SceptaurusTratzel had merely lost interest?

If the latter, what was Tratzel's sudden fixation on Vhinh? _Oh well_, he'd find out soon enough. In any case, with a Sith lord it could never be anything good.

While he was busy estimating his chances at escaping his current predicament, always ending up with a figure resembling slim to none, Darth Sceptaurus entered.

"Well, well, finally showing your true form, Tratzel?" Vhinh quipped. Had he not known they were one and the same, he probably would not have made the connection. The contrast was almost night and day. While Eulian Tratzel appeared easily twenty years younger than his chronological age, Darth Sceptaurus looked every day of his sixty-eight years, from the wrinkles on his face to his now pure white hair. "I have to say, you're looking horrible. Guess that's what decades of cruelty and deception does to a man, huh?"

"Ah, the spirit of a Skywalker. Truely a wonderful thing; yet so often misused." He gave a conspiratorial smile. "I suppose you are wondering what I would want with one so inconsequential as you..."

"Are you going to tell me, or is it a surprise?"

"Oh, you will find out soon enough, do not worry. I will only tell you that there is someone who is... _very _excited to meet you."

Who could he be talking about? _Sceptaurus's _master? Or was _he _the master? There were always supposed to be two; however, it now seemed that Darth Sceptaurus had greatly bent that rule.

Then the other possibility, one he didn't want to acknowledge but that had been in the back of his mind for some time now: Koren. If Sceptaurus had botten ahold of the boy, with his potential, it would be bad. He wanted to ask - but on the chance that somehow Nea had kept Koren hidden from him despite their obvious ties, he would not risk revealing the boy's existence to the Sith lord.

Instead, he opted for another round of questioning.

"What _was_ your association with Nea, _really_? And were you the one who killed Sada Ilaros? You're already a known murderer, so it's not like it really matters _now_."

Darth Sceptaurus looked pensive. "This _Nea _must have really made an impression on you, yes? Now, what if I told you there _was _no such person?"

What was _that _supposed to mean? Was he just playing games now?

"Why don't you give a straight answer for once? What can I really do about it at this point?"

"You have a strong point there, my friend. Rest assured, you will learn all that you need to. Unfortunately for you, you will be dead soon after."

Darth Sceptaurus then turned his back to Vhinh and started toward the cabin door. "Enjoy the remainder of your trip, Skywalker," he said before exiting the cabin.

Vhinh then realized the entire reason for that brief exchange had been to mentally torment him. Pure malice. Darth Sceptaurus was obviously taking great pleasure in this. It shouldn't come as a surprise.

Assuming what Sceptaurus had said about Nea was true, what did it mean? That she'd lied about who she was to begin with? Was it possible she had been Sith as well, all along - even Darth Sceptaurus's apprentice?

And they had his son.

But that didn't add up either. If Nea, or whatever her name was, had really been in cahoots with Darth Sceptaurus, why even inform him of Koren's existence in the first place? Or was there even a Koren? Of that he was still fairly certain, though he couldn't completely explain why.

Furthermore, what would they hope to gain by fabricating something like that? Either way, it made little sense.

Then there was the question of where Sada Ilaros fit into the picture. The circumstantial evidence implicated Nea in her death, for sure. But Nea had been in a completely different system with Sceptaurus when Sada had died.

He could go around in circles forever mulling all this over. Maybe the only thing that would reveal the answers to his questions would be time - which in his case seemed to be running short.


	9. Chapter 9

**-9-**

* * *

><p>Darth Zin had long since left the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la following the successful raid he'd led, and now he waited.<p>

Armies of Chrome Guard had hit every Jedi Temple across the galaxy, and now it seemed the remaining Jedi had gone into hiding. While many of the Jedi had been away from the temples at the time of the attacks, there had still been massive casualities which now put the Jedi at a great disadvantage, even moreso than before.

He had been disappointed, though not surprised by Vhinh Skywalker's absence from the temple. Still, he'd taken much pleasure in being the one to slay Vhinh's master.

Darth Sceptaurus had promised to deliver Vhinh Skywalker to him. But he was beginning to wonder how or if his master planned to make good on this promise. The battle at Fi'ar'la had been liberating; he'd finally had the opportunity to unleash some of his power upon the unprepared Jedi. But he needed more. He needed to finally confront his father and grant him a slow, painful demise. And if it didn't happen soon, Zin would find him on his own.

Zin had suggested they go looking for the other Jedi, but Sceptaurus was insistent on the current course of action. _Wait for them to make the next move; once they show themselves, we crush them for good_, he'd said.

But it seemed the Jedi were doing nothing. How long would this self-imposed deadlock last?

He received an incoming holo message at that moment and flicked on his com. The image of his master appeared before him, and he bowed.

"Greetings, Master. How go things at the House of the Senate?" he asked.

"I have left the House to deal with another matter. Our guard know what is to be done, and it will be carried out."

"What is this other matter you speak of, Master?"

"I have a... _present _for you, my apprentice. Return to the home world, and I will meet you there."

"Yes, my Master," Zin said, bowing once again before the transmission cut off.

Was it possible? So soon?

He couldn't allow himself to get his hopes up. Punching in the coordinates, he activated his com.

"I will be returning to the home world. Maintain watch until my return."

"_Yes, Master,_" a guard answered over the com.

As his hyperdrive kicked on and the stars in his viewport once again became lines, he closed his eyes and drew a long breath, preparing himself for every possibility.

* * *

><p>"What do you mean they've <em>escaped<em>?!" Darth Sceptaurus barked into his com.

"_A Qu'an're battle cruiser took down the wall of the House. Jedi and what the guard believed to be bounty hunters led a rescue attempt. Many of the Jedi were executed, but many have escaped. Chrome Guard losses were significant_," relayed Eos, his droid personal assistant.

Darth Sceptaurus seethed. He didn't say anything for a long moment. _So, the bounty hunters have come to the Jedi's aid. _If he'd known of this plan at the time of their meeting, he would have taken out Kevilus Rakter then and there.

It mattered not. Even with the aid of every bounty hunter in the galaxy, the Jedi stood no chance against his armies.

"Send _The Omen _to Coruscant. _Flatten _the Jedi Temple. Then assemble strike forces of bombers to take out the other temples. I also want full reconnaissance. Find where the Jedi are hiding, and keep tabs on every known bounty hunter as well."

"_It will be done, my lord_."

So the Jedi _had _made the next move. And now it was time to _finish _this.

* * *

><p>Karta's meeting with Zabra the Hutt had actually gone as well as she'd expected. Upon hearing of Eulian Tratzel's affiliation with the Tekdaemon cartel, and the fact that he and Darth Sceptaurus were one and the same, Zabra had become infuriated. She wasn't sure why, but it had worked greatly to her advantage, and had taken little to no coercion after that to convince him to join the Jedi.<p>

Now, she hurried through the deserted hallways of the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la, hoping to retrieve the datacorder that may be key in proving her husband's innocence to his own son. The temple seemed somehow different; not just quieter, but no longer alive. She could have walked through these same halls on any given day, sometimes finding them every bit as empty as today, every bit as quiet, but now there was something missing. It made her feel like she did during those two days alone in open space as a sixteen-year-old, fearing for her life with no place to go. That had been ages ago, but she could remember the feeling as if it had been yesterday.

She reached the quarters her and Vhinh had shared, entered the access code and the door opened. The room now seemed even more empty than before. Though it had always been relatively empty, it had never seemed that way to her.

Jedi kept few possessions, if any. That was one good thing about sharing a room with a Jedi - you didn't have to pick up after them, and it was never hard to find anything. If the datacorder was here, it would have to be in one of the retracting drawers built into the frame of the bed.

No doubt he had filed the information from the datacorder in the archives, but hopefully he had hung onto a copy as well. If not, she would have to bring in a council member to open the archive vault, and she didn't even know who to contact or where to find one. Besides, it would be a lot more time spent on seemingly trivial matters than they could afford right now - though this particular matter was anything but trivial to her.

But the datacorder was there.

_Score! _She silently celebrated, and was preparing to make her way out of the temple and back to the rendezvous point when her holocom went off.

She activated it, and there, standing before her, was the man who had delivered her husband to his imminent death.

"Greetings, love," Kevilus Rakter said nonchalantly.

"What the hell do _you _want?!" This man was about the _last _person she wanted to speak with at the moment. He may be on the same side as them now, but as far as she was concerned, he was an enemy. Karta didn't care if he was the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy - if anything happened to her husband, he would be answering to her _personally_.

"Alright, alright - I deserve that now, don't I? But listen - I have some, ah, information you and your mates might find particularly useful."

She wasn't sure if she should trust him at this point. What if it was a trick? What if he'd decided to turn in her and Jhan after all?

"_Really._ And what's that?"

"Well, I have the current location of your husband and your Sith lord, that's all."

_What? _That wasn't possible.

She narrowed her eyes. "And how did you manage _that_?"

"That same little trick you tried on me. Just needed a more professional touch."

_Wow._ Now he was going to insult her skills as well. _It doesn't matter now. If he really has a location, I want it._

"Whatever. Send me the location, then. And it _better _not be a trap."

"And you plan on just waltzing in there, wherever they're headed, with no idea what to expect? Sounds pretty sloppy to me."

"Look, I'll figure it out. You don't worry abou - "

She heard a loud explosion coming from the other end of the building. Then another, even louder.

"What's going on over there? You in a warzone or something?"

"Sounds like it's turning into one. Hold on."

She hurried to the door of the room, carefully peering down the hall. Before the long hall ended, all she could see was smoke and rubble. And the exit seemed to be blocked! _Great! Just what I need._

More of the temple started coming down in another series of explosions. This wasn't just a random thing, some battle transpiring in the surrounding city. The Chrome Guard had returned to completely level the temple. Before she could even try to think of an alternate escape route, more walls began falling around her. The temple was coming down, and she was trapped inside.

Now with no other options, she planted herself firmly under the open doorway of the room. As she watched, the hall outside quickly filled with rubble after another series of explosions. Her ears rang as they grew louder, and the dust was becoming so thick she could barely see directly in front of her. Then the room, too, began filling with rubble, the ceiling collapsing.

With no room to move, the last thing she saw was a large chunk of duracrete rolling toward her from the huge pile of debris that was once the walls and ceiling of her and Vhinh's quarters. Then everything went black.

* * *

><p>Edala sat, anything but calmly, in the cabin area of the Qu'an're battle cruiser as it made its way back to Utaru. Anyone present could tell her thoughts were with Jhan. A few of the Jedi onboard had kept her updated on all the new developments in the war effort as they'd received them through the ship's com. Grand Master Vilaska had tried to console her, but even her words of wisdom and calming touch couldn't ease Edala's mind now.<p>

She was living a nightmare. Her and Jhan had many unresolved issues. Yes, it had been his fault. And she'd made that _very_ clear. But it all seemed so insignificant now, as she sat there not knowing if she would ever see him again. She'd been there before, but she always knew he would be okay then. Now there were so many things she wanted to say to him. And all she could think of was how she'd treated him the last few times she'd seen him; how he must have felt when she'd left for the House of the Senate - maybe similar to how she felt right now.

He'd come back for her. And he'd done it the _right _way - not foolishly risking himself or others in some futile attempt - he'd actually struck a blow for the Jedi. And for her.

A new wave of tears came over her. Ade Weder, the bounty hunter who'd helped carry Jhan aboard the ship, put his arm around her. He'd stayed with her the entire time, trying to calm her with stories of his own life and asking her many questions as well. He turned out to be a pretty decent guy.

Right out of school, Ade had gotten married and joined the Peacekeepers, only a couple years before the program had been shut down. He and his wife had had high hopes for the future. He had a good job, they had a baby on the way - everything was looking up.

But when the Peacekeeper program had been shut down, they'd been unable to afford their already modest lifestyle and were forced to find an apartment in the lower levels of Coruscant. One day, his wife and daughter had been caught in the crossfire of some turf war between rival gangs.

With nothing left but a yearning for vengeance, he'd joined the Guild, not caring if he barely made enough to eat, as long as he could take down more cartel members. He'd been with the Guild ever since.

"Master Gilgeri?" the med droid called to Edala, and her head darted up instantly.

"H- how is he?" she stammered before the droid could continue.

"The wound pierced his stomach..."

_No. _Her heart sank. She knew what that meant. There was no surviving that type of wound.

The droid kept speaking, but the words just blurred together, until she heard nothing. She tried to stand up, to _demand_ the droid do something - give him an artificial stomach, _anything _- there _had _to be a way. But she quickly became light-headed and had to sit right back down.

"No, no, no..." She was shaking her head, not able to face this reality.

Ade grasped her shoulder, then began shaking her. "It's okay. Edala, it's okay. _Edala!_"

"_What_?!" She turned to him sharply, practically screaming.

"He's gonna make it," he said.

"He..." she started. "_What_?"

Ade reiterated to her what the droid had said. The wound, under normal circumstances, would have been fatal, and in fact would have killed him within twenty minutes. But his stomach had been completely empty - he apparently had not eaten anything in at least twenty-four hours. Had this not been the case, the contents of his stomach would have poisoned his system, from which he would not recover.

_That's just like Jhan, too, _she thought. When something was upsetting him, he wouldn't eat. And the last couple days had no doubt been hard on him.

"Can I see him?" she asked hopefully.

"A very brief visit would be permissable. But he does need his rest," the droid responded.

"I'll be quick," she said, already on her feet and headed for the door. Before leaving the room, she turned and flashed Ade a smile. "Thank you."

He nodded and smiled back.

When she saw Jhan, looking weak and helpless in the bed of the med room, her face softened. He was just waking up from whatever anesthesia he'd been on. She walked over to the bed.

"Dal?" he said, looking confused. "Is that really you? Is this real?"

Edala's look of relief was now replaced with one of anger. "Don't ever do that to me again, you _jerk_!" she said as she leaned over, took his face in her hands and kissed him.

When she pulled back, his eys were wide and his mouth hung open.

"Woah..." he exclaimed. "What was that for?"

"That was for not following me to Coruscant the _first_ time." She moved in closer. "This..." she began, "is for giving us another chance."

She kissed him again, longer and more deeply this time.

When the kiss finally ended, she stood up, running her fingers through his hair. "You need to get some sleep."

"I think I already am," he said. "This feels like a dream."

She gave his hand a squeeze, and he squeezed back. "I'm glad you're okay, Jhan. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't made it."

"I'm glad _you're_ okay," he replied.

She smiled and started toward the door.

"Hey Dal," he said as she was walking through the door. She turned to face him. "Does this mean you forgive me?"

"Oh, not even _close_," she said. "But I'm sure we can think of plenty of ways you can make it all up to me."

"Why do I get the feeling I'm going to enjoy this?" he grinned.

She rolled her eyes, but smiled back. Her expression turned serious.

"I love you, Jhan."

"I know," he said. And it was exactly what she wanted - what she _needed_ to hear. They exchanged a long, meaningful look, then she left, waving the door closed behind her.

* * *

><p>Aysurii Vilaska once again assessed the situation. The Jedi had won an important victory at the House of the Senate. Though their losses had been great, many had survived. But it would do little to turn the tide of the war in their favor.<p>

Raha's team, though having lost Master Proxis, had been successful. And now, with the help of an expert slicer and Hutt cartel member, they led an even more important - and more _dangerous_ - mission.

Reconnaissance teams had uncovered the locations of several Chrome Guard garrisons, and it was already evident the Jedi were outnumbered. They had not gone on the offensive yet, instead electing to bide their time until the right moment. If they had any chance of making a dent in Darth Sceptaurus's empire, it would only be through careful planning and tactics.

Bombing raids were now hitting the Jedi temples, one by one. Aysurii knew this was as much out of frustration and retaliation as it was an attack on Jedi morale. And it was an effective one. Much more than time and building materials would be lost.

The temple archives, wired to underground servers, would be saved - for now. But if Sceptaurus found a way to shut down the servers, all would be lost. Aysurii had a team of tech-savvy Jedi working on a way to upload the data. But the data would be worthless if there was no one left to use it - and _deadly_ if it fell into the wrong hands.

They had just received a message from Kevilus Rakter, Chieftain of the Bounty Hunters Guild. He'd found the destination of Vhinh Skywalker and Darth Sceptaurus, and was heading to the Jedi Temple of Fi'ar'la to help Karta Skywalker. Why she'd been there in the first place, Aysurii knew not. But they always helped their own, so she'd dispatched a few Jedi to accompany him.

Kevilus had sent them the coordinates, but had said they would need the help of his friend, who was from a group known as _The Uncharted_. Why, he hadn't said - he'd been rather rushed - but this friend would be meeting them at the rendezvous point.

Would these coordinates reveal the location of this homeworld of the Chrome Guard, and no doubt the cloning facility they knew had to exist? Even then, they still had Darth Sceptaurus's vast army and _The Omen_ to worry about. Yet they now knew his location - and taking him out was their top priority.

But with the knowledge of this Darth Zin - the son of Vhinh Skywalker - this only complicated things further. Now they had not only one, but two powerful Sith lords to contend with, and an army that answered to both.

And it brought up another question - who had been the template for the clones? One strong in the Force, obviously. Darth Sceptaurus? Or Darth Zin - a Skywalker himself? She shuddered at the thought.

Aysurii activated her com. Deequay Idos picked up from their refuge world of Tomon.

"_Yes, Master Vilaska."_

"Master Idos, I want a midi-chlorian count of our two detainees."

It may be inconsequential at the moment, but it would at least give them a better idea of what they were facing.


	10. Chapter 10

**-10-**

* * *

><p>Back on Fi'ar'la, the scene was bleak. The once great Jedi temple was now only a mess of debris. Kevilus Rakter, accompanied by three Jedi, arrived on the scene. The Jedi bowed their heads in recognition. They knew that if they journeyed back to their own home temples, they would find a similar scene.<p>

"Let's get to it, then. Scan for signs of life," Kevilus urged.

Ironically, that same order had been given the day before at this very temple. Hopefully this time, the results would be different.

They set about spreading out amongst the rubble, creating a perimeter and slowly moving inward. They knew they would have to work fast, but the huge fallen temple had left an even larger footprint on the terrain.

As they worked, Kevilus reflected on exactly what he was doing here. What had possessed him to take such a sudden interest in this one person? Guilt? _Yes_, he supposed that would be difficult to deny.

He'd taken a liking to living in shades of grey. No real alliances; no need for moral high ground. Everything to him had been business. Sure, he looked out for his own - but that clan mentality went back to the very dawn of civilization, even present in seemingly non-sentient beings. It was a matter of survival. It was only when morals became involved that things got complicated.

Of course Kevilus had his own morals - things he simply wouldn't do, unless there was no other choice. He never killed for pleasure. He didn't believe in torture for its own sake. To extract information, it was permissable; but he usually found other effective means in those cases.

He avoided any kind of political affiliation like a plague. Though the prevailing governing body was, and had been the Republic for as long as he knew, even within it there existed different schools of thought, different agendas, not to mention hordes of special interest groups. And then there was the business world. Every bit as political, though it liked to think of itself as more straightforward - but arguably much more powerful and influential. Then the cartels - who secretly had their own stock in everything, perhaps as big or bigger than either of the former.

It was this that made him steer clear of it all. You never really knew who you were working for. Unless of course you _were _part of the cartels. Then you were about as true to yourself as you could be. The Republic had long been a symbol of all that was good, right, and fair. A well-meaning symbol, if nothing else. But there was always the undertone of corruption, and he supposed it was inevitable whenever any kind of power was made available.

The Jedi, however; they almost had this child-like idealism about them. Like when you're growing up and you're fed all these things and blindly believe in them; the ignorant bliss before your world comes crashing down. To them this was perpetual. They would keep fighting for it endlessly - even die for it. He had to admire that. They were like the driving force that made life what it is, yet they could lay it down just as easily.

The Jedi had changed too, however. And in his opinion it had been for the better. They now embraced broader, more open-minded philosophical views. Despite what the media and the general public had been conveying in the more recent decades, he thought the Jedi were on the right track. Most wouldn't begin to understand - it wasn't common knowledge, after all, Jedi dealings, beliefs and what not. But even though he stayed out of the fray, he remained well-versed in all the goings on of the Republic and its many counterparts.

Maybe Kevilus needed this - a greater purpose. He'd accomplished all a bounty hunter could hope to - became like a superstar, really. He had credits, he had power, and of course the admiration of many. The work he had done for the Guild as Chieftain made him feel good. There were people depending on him. So was this yearning for something more a search for some kind of spiritual redemption for all the killing, all the questionable deeds? Was it guilt? Or was he just bored?

_Meh. Either way_, he thought.

"Hey Rakter, I'm getting a signal," one of the Jedi, a knight by the name of Ayron Blasphus called out from across the wreckage.

Kevilus and the other two Jedi hurried over, careful to steer clear of the actual spot. Without a word, Kevilus began hefting hunks of debris aside, and the Jedi reciprocated. They lifted some of the more cumbersome pieces jointly or through use of the Force.

When the rabble began to clear, they could pick out the shape of a human form beneath. Unconscious, but still breathing. They started carefully setting aside numerous pieces of rubble to make an opening through which they could get to her. Miraculously, or perhaps purposefully, her position beneath a smashed and bent support beam had saved her from some of the more serious and likely fatal blows to the head.

As they finally made a path and began hefting her up, her body remained limp but for her left hand, closed like a vice. Prying her fingers open, they found a small datacorder.

This could have answered the question of why she'd been here in the first place.

"Let's get her back to the others. Whatever's on this thing better be good, if it was worth risking her tail over," Kevilus declared.

* * *

><p>When they arrived on Tomon with Karta, it was to whoops and hollers the likes of which they hadn't seen throughout this whole ordeal.<p>

"What'd they do, win the freakin' war without us?" Kevilus remarked.

"Not likely, but my curiosity is piqued," said one of the Jedi, as he began exiting Kevilus's ship. The other two had already exited their own shuttle.

"Hey - " Kevilus called. "Forgetting something?" He motioned to Karta, who still lay unconscious on a cot inside the cabin.

"We shouldn't move her. I'll send a med droid in to check her over."

"Well alright, but I'm stayin' here till she wakes up. I wanna know the story on that datacorder."

The Jedi nodded, then left the ship.

After a few moments, before the droid arrived, Karta started coming to. She shifted a little, making a few faint groaning noises, and then her eyes began to flutter open.

"Well hey there, sleepyhead. Wakey wakey," Kevilus teased.

Upon seeing him, seated on the bench beside her, she sat up and quickly scooted back, away from him.

"What the hell are _you _doing here?" Then she looked around, still a little disoriented. "Where _am _I?"

"You have the privilege of being aboard my fine vessel," he said, waving his hand in an exaggerated gesture. "Thing of beauty, isn't she?"

"So what'd ya do, kidnap me?" She scowled at him.

"_Kidnap_?" Now he looked defensive. "I was the one what _saved _your lovely tail. If it hadn't been for me, no one would even know you went back to the temple!"

"Oh. Thanks," she said in a monotone. "Now bring back my husband and we'll call it good."

"Fraid it's not that simple, love. But I _will_ help you." Karta rolled her eyes. "What were you doing mucking around back there, anyway? And what's so special about that datacorder?"

Karta's eyes went wide. She looked at her hands, then began frantically patting all her pockets.

"Relax." He held the datacorder out to her, and she snatched it away from him, then began checking it to verify its contents.

"Yeah, still there. The whole one-millisecond clip," he said sarcastically. "Come on, what's the deal?"

"Don't worry about it," she said, slipping it into her pocket and fastening it shut.

"Look, if I'm gonna be helping you, you have to start trusting me a little."

"Who says I want your help?"

"_I _say you _need _my help," he retorted. "My people already rescued your Jedi at the House, and that's a death sentence for me where Tratzel is concerned. So I think it's pretty clear whose side I'm on, innit?"

"It sure wasn't clear when you delivered a Jedi master to the enemy."

"And that led us to his location, didn't it?" he challenged.

"Oh, don't even pretend like that was your plan all along - and I still want those coordinates, by the way!"

Kevilus exhaled, looked away, and then back to her. "You'll get them. And look, Tratzel offered me a payout no bounty hunter in their right mind could refuse. And it's _all_ going to my people. It's enough to keep 'em happy for _awhile_."

"You worry too much about what your _people_ think." She stood up then, holding up an index finger to stress her next point. "You're a weak, _little _man." With that she stormed out of the ship, just as the med droid was entering.

"Miss, I need to examine y- "

"I'm _fine!_" she barked back.

Kevilus threw up his hands in resignation. "Well, guess we'll see what all the hubbub is about out there," he mumbled to himself as he rose to his feet and exited the ship after her.

He quickly found out just what the hubbub was about. Raha Dima's team was back, and had pulled off the seemingly impossible. Two Jedi, dressed as Chrome Guard, had snuck into Galacom Headquarters and planted a remote transmitter on Eos, Tratzel's droid personal assistant, allowing their slicer to tap into its entire system. Its memory had been completely downloaded, and now they could access, in real time, any data sent or received by the droid.

Unfortunately, even Eos didn't know the location of the cloning facility and Chrome Guard homeworld. But what it _did _know was the location of every Chrome Guard garrison, how many were at each garrision, and even the location of _The Omen _itself. While this would prove indispensible in planning their strategy, the sheer numbers of Chrome Guard were staggering.

Now, Aysurii adressed the group. "We know the present location of Darth Sceptaurus. That could change at any time, so we must act fast. We will be dedicating a significant portion of our forces to this assault - fighters, gunships, transports, and three capital ships. We face two complications, however. _The Omen_ - we have nothing that can match it. And the fact that these coordinates we've received are in the Unknown Regions."

"And that's where _I_ come in." Another figure stepped out from the crowd. She looked like a spacer, for sure, only much more sketchy. "I'm Harel Sulon. I'm from _The Uncharted_. Most of you probably haven't heard of my group. _Good_, we like to keep it that way.

"If you're going to be mounting an assault in the Unknown Regions, you can't just rush in blindly - you don't know what you'll find. And if you want to plan an effective attack, you need to know your surroundings as well.

"My group and I are intimately familiar with regions of space you've never even heard of. It's all we do. So I _do_ know what I'm talking about." She spoke with such authority, even the Jedi hung on her every word.

"Now, nobody goes out into the Unknown Regions for a tea party. If Tratzel's out there - it's for something _big_. In fact, I'd bet my best ship that that's your cloning facility." She pulled out a small holo projector that lit up, displaying a space chart before them that showed a small portion of the Unknown Regions.

"These coordinates that we received," she pointed to a space on the chart, "lead to a planet called Xadox. Most likely they were purchased from one of our group - and most likely they're _dead_ now, because we have no record of that transaction. We don't like that. We like to keep accurate records - and we like to be _paid_ for our work.

"Now, this back here..." She pointed to another location. "This is the Hades-Rion asteroid belt. _Vicious_. Journey too far this way and you're space dust. And this here..." She pointed to a huge mass. "This is Gemini. Twin black holes. Wait a couple thousand years and maybe time will take care of Tratzel _for_ you."

The whole time, Karta had been studying the chart, contemplating. "And where would _we_ be - in relation to all of this?" she asked.

"Right around here." Harel pointed to somewhere off the map.

"What if there was a way we could lure _The Omen_ into the black holes?"

"And how do you plan on doing _that_? Dangle a Jedi from a stick?" Kevilus joked, then looked around at his present company. "Sorry."

"Maybe we can dangle _you _from a stick," Karta retorted.

"Hold on." Harel put up a hand. "You might be on to something. There _is_ a gap between the event horizons of the two black holes, where the gravity is weak enough to fly a small ship through."

"But not _The Omen_," Karta put in, smiling deviously.

Harel pointed a finger at Karta. "Yes."

"But how do we get the Omen to follow us into a black hole?" one of the Jedi asked. "It'll be a little too big to miss."

"I say we just come at 'em from all sides," Kevilus put in. "We might lose a few ships, but _The Omen _can't be everywhere."

"Or we could do both," Karta said. "We 'leak' the trajectories of one of our fleets to their intelligence. Allow them to put a trace on the fleet. We use the gap in the black holes as one of our 'staging areas' - line up the fleet, single file, right smack in the middle. Once they confirm our location, they'll make a jump to surprise us. But we'll have a _bigger_ surprise for them."

"You're _insane_!" Kevilus remarked. "I like that."

"It _is_ a risky maneuver, but it may be our only chance. Kevilus, do you have a fleet at the ready?" Aysurii asked.

"My people are at your service, Grand Master."

"Excellent. We have established contact with a few fleets from the Republic Navy. They actually reached out to us. We are still unsure if this is one of Darth Sceptaurus's tricks, so we will not reveal our plan in full, but instead deploy them opposite our decoy fleet. So remain watchful.

"I will contact the others and together we will coordinate the siege. Again, time is of the essence. Be ready when you are called. We will be organizing several other strike teams to attack various Chrome Guard garrisons as well. Good luck in advance, and may the Force be with you all."

Cheers erupted from the mixed group of Jedi and bounty hunters, then they broke away, to ready their gear and their ships.

"Karta," Kevilus called out as the ruckus died down. She stopped in her tracks but didn't turn to look at him. "Why don't you come with me?"

She turned around. "Why in the stars would I want to do _that_?!"

Because I can get you in - I'm the best man for the job, and you know it." He looked to the ground for a second. "And I wanna make things right."

"I still don't know if I can even trust you."

"Fair enough. But what have you really got to lose?"

She appeared to consider it for a moment. "Alright. But I'll be watching you. And be warned - I put up a good fight. Try anything and I'll make you sorry."

"Well, if your skills are as sharp as your tongue, I don't wanna find out."

"Let's go then." Without another word, she walked past him and headed back toward the ship.

* * *

><p>When Darth Sceptaurus's shuttle had arrived on Xadox, Vhinh had no idea what to expect. But when he was led down the shuttle exit ramp and into a dark, murky corridor, he sighed. <em>Yeah, should have known. They never bring you to any sunny, tropical world.<em>

He had absolutely no idea where they were, but judging by the length of their journey, it was far.

The corridor began to widen, and soon they reached walls that were plated with durasteel, giving the corridor a more mechanical appearance. Vhinh didn't know which was more unsettling. They passed an intersecting hallway, then came to a huge transparisteel window. Darth Sceptaurus stopped, and the guards ushering Vhinh along did as well.

"Welcome to my home," Sceptaurus announced. "And future capitol of the New Sith Empire." Out the window, a vast open area could be seen, lined with rows of towering structures. Construction droids were hard at work building more, drilling and blasting through rock, taking readings of the terrain and moving debris. Darth Sceptaurus was building an entire _city _- a very _large_ city - beneath the surface of whatever world they were on!

"Fitting," Vhinh commented. "You're trying to rule the galaxy and yet you still feel the need to hide underground like the worm you are."

"What can I say? I just feel more at home in the shadows." Sceptaurus smiled contentedly. "I would really like to show you the rest - but there is someone here who has been dying to meet you."

"Hello, Father."

Vhinh nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of the chilling voice behind him. He hadn't even realized anyone had been there.

He spun around to see its source - a black-robed figure whose hood shrouded his features. The figure then removed the cowl to reveal a face that Vhinh had seen only in his visions. It reminded him of his younger days. He could see himself in the young man, still in his early twenties. His hair, slightly curly like Vhinh's, had the color of his mothers's; black as deep space - or the darkness that surrounded him.

"Koren..." A wave of emotion swept over Vhinh at seeing his only son for the first time. In his face and his heart were only love.

In the eyes of the young man before him, there was none. "That is no longer my name," the man responded. "You may refer to me only as Darth Zin."

Vhin shook his head. "As I have feared, my son. What have they _done_ to you?" he asked in a deeply concerned tone.

"My _master_ has shown me the path to unimaginable power. Enough to destroy you. _You, _whohave robbed me of the only person who ever truly loved me." Zin was no longer afraid to reveal this connection - Darth Sceptaurus could no longer punish his mother for that.

"What are you _talking _about?" Vhinh asked, dumbfounded.

Darth Zin paid him no mind. "Guards," he said as he removed a lightsaber from his belt. "Free him."

Zin ignited the lightsaber, and its red glow came to life with a pulsating hum that quickly overwhelmed the silence of the room. The guards did as instructed, and Vhinh began massaging his newly freed wrists.

"Here. You may need this," Darth Sceptaurus said, smiling wickedly as he tossed Vhinh his lightsaber. Vhinh caught the weapon, but did not activate it.

"I will _not _fight you," he said to Zin.

"Then you will _die_!" Zin shouted as he made a mad rush for Vhinh.

Igniting his own lightsaber at the last second, he met that of the Sith lord's with a deafening crash that lit the room around them. Next Zin launched into a flurry of successive strikes from various angles, almost too fast to see, which Vhin blocked with precision.

The exchange continued, Zin mixing it up with a kick here and there, which Vhinh blocked, responding in kind. In addition to being incredibly strong in the Force, Vhinh's many added years of experience and dedication to his training made him a formidable opponent for even Darth Zin. But he knew the dark power Zin drew from his unadulterated rage would eventually overcome him. If he could somehow outmaneuver him, weather the storm long enough to get Zin talking, maybe he could find out his motivation.

Zin seemed to have some kind of vendetta against him, so it wasn't just blind lust for power that warped his senses. Maybe he could somehow reason with him, uncover some semblance of love or compassion buried beneath Zin's dark exterior. He had to try - this was his own son. And if it came down to it, even bound by his duty to the Jedi Order, he didn't know if he could strike Zin down.

But who was this person Zin spoke of - the one Vhinh had robbed him of? Another trick of Darth Sceptaurus, no doubt. Where - or _who _- was Nea, and where did Sada Ilaros fit into the whole picture?

Not accustomed to such a lengthy, well-matched battle, Darth Zin quickly grew bored and abandoned the duel in favor of other tactics, using the Force to rip a good-sized mechanical component from the wall and launch it at Vhinh's back. The Jedi managed to side-step it just in time, forcing Zin to slice through it with his own lightsaber.

Zin began hurling more projectiles in Vhinh's direction, which he blocked, dodged or cut through, though with increasing difficulty as they became more and more frequent. Despite the fact that Zin was destroying his equipment, Darth Sceptaurus wore an amused smile, more interested in seeing his prodigy at work at the moment.

Finally, Zin uprooted an entire command console and sent it flying toward Vhinh. It, too, missed its target - and instead crashed through the large window overlooking the fledgling city below. Vhinh, weighing his options, then followed its path through the new gaping hole left in its wake. Darth Zin was right on his tail, but when the four Chrome Guard started after them, Darth Sceptaurus put up a hand in protest.

"Let them go. They need a little father-son time."

* * *

><p>In between Gemini's two event horizons, a large mixed fleet of Jedi and Guild starfighters began to gather. Exiting hyperspace well inside the outer reaches of the twin black holes' masses, each ship quickly made its way further in, allowing the next to enter, until they had amassed a sizable fleet within its safe zone - a fleet too large for Darth Sceptaurus, and <em>The Omen<em>, to ignore.

They had allowed Sceptaurus's forces to pick up a signal, tracing the fleet's actual shared nav network. Darth Sceptaurus would know the coordinates of each and every ship in the fleet, including where they left hyperspace. He wouldn't, however, know what actually lay within those coordinates, other than enough space to accommodate an entire fleet.

The Jedi and their forces had already engaged some of Sceptaurus's largest fleets on other fronts, even if in futile effort, in order to narrow down his viable options.

If everything went according to plan, Darth Sceptaurus would see no option other than sending his flagship to engage this fleet, before they launched their inevitable attack on his base of operations. He would opt for a flank attack, saving _The Omen_ from any damage this fair-sized fleet may deal it in a head-to-head encounter. He would think their single-file formation was to hide their numbers, and expect this to be the only trick up their sleeves. He would take a well-calculated risk in order to put a stop to them, then and there. _The Omen_, though astronomically expensive, he would reason, would not be irreplaceable, but his home world may be. So, he would commit to this tactic - and _The Omen_ would be swallowed by Gemini.

_If_ everything went according to plan.

There were so many variables. And those variables were like dark shadows looming over every single member of the fleet. What if Darth Sceptaurus had another, larger fleet already waiting for them on Xadox, and chose not to engage at all? Or what if he sent several other fleets instead? What if _The Omen _was accompanied by another fleet? This was almost a given. But what if that fleet went in first, then sent word to _The Omen_ to abort?

And perhaps the scariest possibility, one in the back of the mind of each and every Jedi: what if the bounty hunters, or even the Hutts, were in league with Sceptaurus? That could end things right there. This was a fight the Jedi could not win alone. Even with the help of the Guild and the Hutts, and the valuable stolen intelligence, the odds were still stacked against them.

But there was no turning back now. They had laid the trap; all that was left to do was wait.

* * *

><p>AN: Merry Christmas everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

-**11-**

* * *

><p>"When I catch you, Father, I'm going to kill you - <em>slowly<em> and _painfully_."

"Good, that'll give us a little time to catch up." Vhinh's back was to the wall of one of the many structures within the huge construction site that was to be the future location of Darth Sceptaurus's capital city. Upon hearing his voice, Darth Zin took off in his direction, and Vhinh again fled in search of more cover.

He dared not enter any of the towering, identical buildings. They appeared to be dwellings - of Sceptaurus's army, most likely. Where they were and why they weren't coming out to intervene were two questions on his mind, but not the most prevalent.

"Is this really who you are, Koren? What has made you this way?" Vhinh called out from his new cover. He refused to address his son by his chosen title.

"If you mean why do I choose the title 'Dark Lord of the Sith', it is because the Sith are the rightful rulers of the known galaxy; and our time has come. This legacy is my birthright, and it is all I have ever known. I have been trained by Darth Sceptaurus, the greatest Sith lord that has ever lived."

"You have been _brainwashed_! He's using you to achieve his own goals. It's _lies_ you've been raised on!"

"Do not utter such blasphemous words! Lies are a tool of the _Jedi_. When the Sith inherit the galaxy, the truth will be revealed!" With this, Darth Zin grasped through the Force a pile of debris being moved by a mammoth construction droid overhead and sent it raining down on Vhinh. The Jedi was forced to leave cover and scurry out into the open, where with a great leap Zin came to meet him with his lightsaber. Vhinh quickly defended, and the two once again locked blades.

"Your skills are impressive, Koren," Vhinh said, gritting his teeth. "You could have been a great Jedi."

"My _name_ is _DARTH ZIN_," he boomed, giving Vhinh a brutal headbutt to the nose which sent him staggering back. Zin followed with a long swipe of his lightsaber that caught him across the upper body.

His robe now torn, revealing a long score where the saber had made contact, he clenched his jaw through the pain and wiped the blood from his nose. "Why do you have such hatred for me? Does family mean nothing to you?"

Zin scowled heavily. "It _meant _something - once," he growled, "until you _TOOK HER FROM ME_!" He screamed now, unleashing a flurry of strikes that knocked Vhinh back with the impact of each block.

_So much power._ He was like an uncaged animal. There was no longer any inkling of reason behind those eyes, only unrestrained fury.

One strike sent Vhinh stumbling back, and he nearly met his end by a swift slash to his head. He decided that he needed to put some distance between them while Zin was in this state of mind. With a high force-assisted jump, he latched onto the arm of a construction droid as it was passing over them. A single leap put Zin atop the heavy arm just as Vhinh finished his climb up. The duel continued as they scaled the behemoth, and all the while it dutifully carried on, completely oblivious to their life and death struggle.

* * *

><p>The tension was so thick you could cut it with a vibroblade, as they say. By now, they estimated, <em>The Omen<em> would have had sufficient time to make its ways to this neck of the galaxy and make the jump that would effectively cut off the fleet's assault before it amounted to anything. More time spent in their current positions meant more time that Darth Sceptaurus would be contemplating their tactics, trying to second guess them. This was exactly what they didn't want. They wanted him to feel just enough pressure so as to make a well thought out, yet rash decision.

It was like a real-life game of dejarik - and once he committed to his next move, there would be no taking it back.

Those at the tail end of the pack were particularly concerned. If Sceptaurus opted for the expected flank attack, they may be caught in the fire before Gemini's gravity took over. Power to their rear shield was now maxed out, and every ship's engines were primed and ready to go in this event.

If, however, Darth Sceptaurus chose to hit them from both sides, their options were very limited.

The brow of every pilot glistened with sweat; this was it. And this one maneuver would greatly affect their chances of success in the upcoming siege.

The moment arrived.

Dropping out of hyperspace, completely blocking out the star field behind them, was _The Omen_ itself. So Darth Sceptaurus had in fact gone with the most terrifying approach - just like a Sith lord. But once the initial shock of beholding _The Omen _in all its glory had set in, each and every cockpit in the fleet exploded with cheers. Now they could breathe easily for a moment as they sat and watched the show.

It all happened in a matter of seconds. _The Omen _began to shake wildly. The whine of its massive engines could practically be heard even in deep space, struggling with gravity as the crew quickly realized their fatal mistake. The blue flame of its thrusters and repulsors were instantly sucked into the abyss.

Both sides of _The Omen _became elongated as they too felt the massive force of Gemini's gravity well. Guns, plating - anything bolted or welded to the ship's frame broke loose and spiraled into the blackness. It looked like a war between the two black holes, each struggling to capture the giant capital ship. In the end, both would prevail; the only loser would be _The Omen_.

Now stretched to easily twice its original width, the pressure was far too much, and _The Omen_ began to give way, breaking apart down the middle as if cut by a gigantic invisible vibroblade. Some crew members, no longer bound by its artificial gravity, made a desperate leap for open space, but it was too late, and they too succumbed to Gemini's pull. Escape pods jettisoned, ships of every kind roared out of its open hatches; but none would survie.

Finally, _The Omen_, now no longer recognizable, was separated from itself, and the two halves, amid clusters of debris, made their final plunge into Gemini's depths, never to be seen again.

It had been without a doubt a spectacular and surreal sight, soured only by the fact that thousands of lives had been lost in the process. This was war; a concept the Jedi had still never completely come to terms with.

Dev Rydell, a Jedi aboard one of the many fighters, activated her com. "All personnel, repeat all personnel. Phase one a success. Proceed to phase two. Over."

And then she saw the remainder of _The Omen_'s fleet on her screen, pinning them in from both sides.

* * *

><p>Darth Sceptaurus glowered at the command console before him, and it slowly crumpled inward, emmitting a shower of sparks before finally going up in flames. He'd made a grave mistake, falling right into their trap, and it had cost him his prized ship. Had it been someone else's call, he'd have executed them on the spot. But he had only himself to blame. He resolved not to make another mistake.<p>

How had the Jedi pulled off this maneuver? With the help of The Uncharted, no doubt. But they obviously knew the location of Xadox, as well, and he had already tied up all loose ends in that acquisition. It had to be the bounty hunter - he had already shown his true allegiance, after all. When this was all over, he'd have the Guild eliminated as well.

Still, there was something else...

On an impulse, he activated his com, making sure to use his most secure private channel. One of his first generation Chrome Guards picked up the transmission from Galacom headquarters.

"Yes, my lord?"

"I need you to upload Eos's memory to an external data chip - then destroy it," he ordered.

"Destroy the _droid_, my lord?" the guard asked in surprise.

"That is correct."

There had been a security breach at Galacom HQ, including some questionable activity. Two guard had been kidnapped. He hadn't thought much of it at the time - so his secret was out about the clones; it hardly mattered now. And they had no real vital information to offer. Still, the fact that it had been at Galacom HQ - he could afford to take no chances. Besides, he could build an even better droid if he wanted to; an entire army of them, in fact.

"It will be done, my lord."

He sent a second transmission. "I need home fleet prepared to defend, and three additional fleets deployed to Xadox, with more on standby."

Normally he could have relayed all this information to Eos, who would coordinate everything, but it was now in the hands of his guard. They were capable, though - he'd made sure of that. So he had no doubt they could carry out his orders.

He looked to the four guard that stood at his side. "Down to the city." He motioned for them to follow him. "Enough toying with this Jedi. We have work to do."

* * *

><p>The coordinates of Darth Sceptaurus's ship were known, but from a distance the area looked barren, and the invading forces began to question if they were in fact in the right place.<p>

A fleet of ships emerged from underground, and two more dropped out of hyperspace, confirming that this was the spot. Suddenly, it was an all-out firefight, the scale of which had not been seen in hundreds of years or more. Ships of every size and type were on the scene, from every player in the now fully-realized war: Jedi. Chrome Guard. Bounty hunters. Tekdaemons. Hutts. Some of Tratzel's private armada. And Republic ships - those muscled or manipulated into continued service to Darth Sceptaurus, and those who had made a stand and broken away from his fledgling empire.

The scene was utter chaos. It was nearly impossible to tell one side from the other, until the first shots were fired. Less experienced pilots relied more on their targeting computers, but even those became confused, particularly with the Republic ships who now fought on two sides.

Dartanion Antilles, accomplished fighter pilot, son of Roho Antilles and of the royal Antilles bloodline, led his squadron or Republic fighters against Sceptaurus's ships. They were the elite of the Republic navy, carrying on the legacy of the legendary Rogue Squadron, who had been lost to a triggered supernova millennia before along with much of the Republic navy of the time. But it had been that effort that had ended the Last Sith War, wiping every known Sith from existence. In the true spirit of their predecessors, his squadron skillfully outmaneuvered Scept's private ships, cutting them down at every turn.

Hutts and Tekdaemon fighters engaged in a messy dogfight, and all others were wrapped up in what appeared to be a random melee. The space over the surface of Xadox was congested with ships, explosions and debris.

But one ship flew under the radar, apparently unnoticed amid the ensuing chaos.

* * *

><p>"What about there?"<p>

"It's too close. The ship will be spotted."

"Any further and we'll be running all day," Karta argued.

"And if we're discovered, it don't make much difference how quickly we get there, does it? Now, you wanna get in or not?" Kevilus retorted.

"Alright, Mr. Espionage. But if he's _dead_ by the time we get there, I'm placing the blame solely on you."

"A burden I've long since come to accept," he muttered.

So they found a spot beneath a rocky outcropping some few hundred meters away, and Kevilus proceeded to land the ship. As soon as they'd touched down, Karta, geared up and ready to go, exited the ship and made a mad dash for their destination. Kevilus struggled to catch up.

When they finally reached the spot, right outside one of the openings the ships had emerged from, they were both breathing a little harder, Kevilus much more so.

"Man, you are making me feel every day of my age."

"You'll feel it more if you don't get your tail moving! Come on, what's the plan?" Karta asked insistently.

He looked at her as if offended, annoyed or both, then pulled a small hand-held plasma torch from his belt. He fired it up and got to work. When he'd carved out a meter-sized hole through the rock, he stepped aside and motioned to Karta.

"Ladies first."


	12. Chapter 12

**-12-**

* * *

><p>The battle outside of Xadox continued. Hundreds, if not thousands of ships had already perished, along with their pilots and crew. Darth Sceptaurus's reinforcements began arriving, but the Jedi, now positive of Xadox's significance, had sent their own, as well.<p>

A transport safely touched down on the surface; then another. Bombers began hammering away at the shell of the bay, until finally it was breached. Thousands of ground troops - Jedi, Guild and Hutt cartel members alike stormed the fortress. And they were met by an army of Chrome Guard.

Throughout the long hallway within the bowels of Darth Sceptaurus's chosen home world, a bloody conflict ensued. The Jedi and Guild members fought well together, using effective tactics that complimented each other's abilities. But the Chrome Guard were trained to fight both.

Each side would experience massive casualties. This was the war they had come prepared to fight. And yet nothing could have prepared them for this reality.

* * *

><p>"What is your mother's real name, Koren?"<p>

Doing his best to maintain a safe distance between them, Vhinh decided it was time to get some answers.

"Why would you ask such a question?" Darth Zin snapped. "You _knew _her. Before you _betrayed _her."

_Okay_, so it was starting to make more sense now. "I know what I was supposed to believe. I'm not even sure what that is anymore. She told me her name was _Nea_."

Zin scoffed. "What difference does that make? She probably told you that to protect herself, knowing you were Jedi. You seduced her, and then, somehow, you drew her back to you, years later!"

"She came to me of her own accord - to tell me about _you! _She said there was another man, who had raised you as his son. Now I know who that man was. And why she didn't want me involved in your life. She never had anything to fear from me. I told her nothing but the truth - which is what I'm trying to uncover now."

"So you killed her out of _jealousy_?"

Vhinh's heart sank. _Nea_. The mother of his child; dead. One of his biggest fears. And if Koren thought he was responsible, it explained a lot. But not everything.

"I didn't kill your mother, Koren. The last time I saw her, she was on her way to meet up with your master. And there _was _a murder - one that he was most likely responsible for." He paused for a moment. "Did you know anyone by the name of Sada Ilaros?"

Darth Zin looked at him with a penetrating glare. He spoke, barely above a whisper.

"Sada Ilaros _was_ my mother."

Vhinh's eyes widened at this revelation. Nea and Sada Ilaros - one and the same.

She _had _lied to him all along - about everything. And her appearance - all Sith trickery, to throw him off the trail. The entire thing had been planned - to seduce him, to conceive his son; but why? And why had she then come to see Vhinh, years later? A change of heart?

It was clear what Darth Sceptaurus's plans had been for Koren, but why go to such lengths? A single Sith lord can't win a war. And why had Nea - or _Sada_ - been killed? Simply to feed Koren's hate? Though he wouldn't put it past Sceptaurus, there had to be more to the story. And the only one who had all the answers now approached them from below.

"Koren , listen to me. I didn't kill your mother," Vhinh began. "But I have a good idea of who did - and he's standing right there." He indicated Sceptaurus.

"Yes, a likely story, _Jedi_," Sceptaurus replied. "But one without merit. Now finish him _quickly_, Zin. We are under attack!"

"I _will_ finish him, Master. But it will not be quick. Do not rob me of this!" Darth Zin shouted as he closed the distance between Vhinh and himself, sweeping the Jedi roughly off his feet, then force-pushing him to the ground below, where he slammed hard into a pile of debris. Zin was right behind him.

Vhinh dropped his lightsaber, but before he could retrieve it, Zin's boot met his chin, sending him slumping back to the ground.

"Do you think that's really going to help you, father?" Zin asked, standing over him. He clipped his own lightsaber to his belt. "I don't even _need _a lightsaber to defeat you. I'm going to kill you with my _bare hands!_"

At this, he hefted Vhinh up and flung him as if he were nothing. Vhinh tumbled and rolled through more debris, before finally coming to a stop nearly ten meters away.

As Darth Zin approached him, Vhinh tried again. "Koren, listen to me. You've been deceived - about _everything_. Abouth the Sith; about this man you call master!"

Zin's response was a fist to the face that made Vhinh see stars, followed by another. Vhinh tried shake it off as Koren prepared to strike again.

"Do not presume to make such claims. I understand the Sith - and my master - better than you _ever_ will!"

Vhinh managed to block his next two strikes, but was caught with a boot to the gut that caused him to double over. Next Zin came down with a crushing elbow to the back of his neck that could have paralyzed him had he not used the Force to absorb some of the impact. As it was, it sent a surge of pain down his spine. Zin proceeded to throw him again, and this time he flew into a railing built into the wall of the huge cavern. Feeling his head ringing and his entire body aching, he clumsily used the railing to pull himself up, the front of his robe now soaked with blood.

The railing was attached to a tall staircase that led to a well-illuminated area. His curiosity piqued even in this desperate situation, he summoned the energy too begin hobbling up the staircase, Darth Zin already close behind. Darth Sceptaurus and his guards followed, as well, and he was apparently enjoying the display. With the slight temporary advantage of having the high ground, Vhinh paused near the top of the staircase.

He was breathing hard, but forced out the words. "You seem to understand the concept of love, Koren, yet you toss it aside in order to serve your master's evil purposes. But I've loved you since the moment I learned of your existence. And your mother loved, as well - I know. That was why she came to see me - and why I contacted you that night. I sensed you were very troubled then; I now know why."

Darth Zin's eyes widened. "How could you know this? You're inside my _head_, somehow. It was _her_ that contacted me!"

Vhinh took on a look of surprise, then dismay. So this was what Koren had believed, about all the times Vhinh had contacted him - and he wasn't about to take that away from him. Koren had obviously cared for his mother deeply.

Vhinh began slowly backing up the remainder of the stairs, deliberating what to do next. He was running out of options. His thoughts drifted back to Karta. He hoped her and the Jedi would fare well, somehow finding a way to beat the overwhelming odds. And he hoped beyond hope that, no matter what, she would be safe. She was a survivor; that was one of the things he admired about her.

As he backed through the door at the top of the stairs, he had to squint as the light washed over him. What lie within was a stark contrast to the dark, cavernous feel of the other areas he'd seen. It looked like a laboratory of some kind. The walls were white and lined with tubes with different colored fluids flowing through them from between huge vats. Dozens of people in long white coats appeared to be hard at work. Even with the commotion of the group of people bursting through the door, they still seemed preoccupied with the work, only taking slight notice of the ruckus.

"You must not continue to prolong this, my apprentice! He is making you lose your resolve," Darth Sceptaurus called out.

"No, Master," Zin responded, as if snapping out of a trance.. "My resolve is greater than ever. This will be over _very _soon."

He lunged at Vhinh, who leapt over a large metal table. If the Jedi could at the very least prolong this encounter, he reasoned, he'd be taking the attention of these two Sith lords away from his allies, giving them precious extra minutes in which to prepare. At this point, he didn't know if he _could_ get through to Koren - he seemed too far gone.

As he darted between workers, he took in all of his surroundings. This facility he'd stumbled upon, whatever its purpose, was huge. He couldn't see its end, and the high ceilings only contributed to its ominous appearance. There were computer consoles and electronics everywhere, along with more vats of assorted fluids.

And then he saw it - not one, but many. Encased in more tubes were living, breathing humans in various stages of infancy, masses of wires protruding from their craniums.

_No_, he thought.

But it all made sense now. For a brief second, he froze - and Zin was upon him.

* * *

><p>Kevilus and Karta had to duck behind one of the many massive buildings in order to avoid detection by the countless hordes of Chrome Guard that now flooded out into the city. It had to mean that one or more of the transports had touched down.<p>

They were still in wonder over the whole installation Darth Sceptaurus had apparently created within the depths of Xadox. The sounds of thousands of heavy footsteps began to die down, and finally it seemed the coast was clear.

"This is hopeless!" Karta sighed. "It's like an entire _city _down here! How are we every going to find him?"

"Aye, a little more confidence would be nice," Kevilus grumbled. "Now something obviously went down here, and if my instincts serve me well, I'd say we're right on their tail."

They ventured on through the city, now seeming even more desolate than before. Kevilus stopped, pressing a couple buttons on the side of his helmet, then appeared to be scanning the area.

"What are you doing?" Karta asked.

"There was obviously a struggle back there. And any good hunter knows to look for a trail of blood."

"Wow. And amazingly your words do nothing to reassure me."

He seemed not to hear her. "There," he said, pointing off into the distance.

They pressed on, and soon the powerful sensor led them to the spot. It wasn't a lot of blood, but enough to make Karta's heart beat faster. As they followed the sparse trail, with the help of Kevilus's equipment, they soon caught a glint of something else up ahead.

"Oh no..." Karta trailed off as they approached the shiny object.

_Vhinh's lightsaber._ She picked it up and held it tenderly to her chest, as if it were all that remained of him. She knew the importance he placed on the weapon, and for him to be without it was a bad sign. Pausing for a brief second in silence, they were interrupted by faint sounds of a struggle.

"Come on!" Karta cried in desperation, already heading toward the source.

* * *

><p>As Vhinh looked up into Darth Zin's cold, murderous eyes, he already felt defeated. There was nothing he could do or say to save Koren - he'd failed the boy. Before he'd even met him. And maybe even before he was ever born - when he'd failed the Jedi Order as well; given in to his physical desires. He'd been seduced by the dark side, and Koren had been born into it. But to take that back would be to deny Koren's very existence. And yet, given the existence in question, would that be such a bad thing?<p>

A life consumed by hatred. Sith were not known for dying happily and at peace. Most met violent ends, often through acts of betrayal. That wasn't what Vhinh wanted for his son, either. And right now, he was the only person that could potentially save Koren from that fate - whatever it took.

As he fought to maintain consciousness with the Sith lord's hands tightly around his throat, he reached out through the Force to scan the room. The workers had cleared the area, gathering valuable or delicate items to preserve them from the conflict. Deciding on a small scientific instrument of some sort lying on a nearby table, he sent it flying toward Zin from behind. It should be enough to break his hold without hurting him in any serious way.

But just before it made contact, it stopped abruptly, hanging in mid-air. Darth Sceptaurus stood several feet away, hand raised, smiling mischievously. He dropped his hand and the object clattered harmlessly to the floor. Darth Zin seemed oblivious to the whole thing. And Vhinh began losing his battle with unconsciousness, feeling room slowly growing black. Reality began to fade, and he heard a familiar voice. At first he thought he was dreaming.

"Take you hands _off_ of him. _Now_!" A cool, deliberate female voice from behind them demanded.

And Darth Zin did let go momentarily, if only to see the source of this unfamiliar voice. Darth Sceptaurus turned around as well. At first he appeared furious.

"_What_?! How did you - " His face now looked more threatening as he regarded the two. "Oh, you have _no_ idea who you are dealing with."

"Karta!" Vhinh yelled, shaking off the cobwebs. "What are you doing here? _Run_, while you still can!"

Karta smirked. "It's good to see you too, darling. And I'm not going anywhere. I brought you a little present..." she said, reaching into her jacket pocket. "The _datacorder_." She held up the small object, and Vhinh's jaw dropped.

He now wore an expression of gratitude mixed with relief. "I love you."

"I know," she replied, as if this should be obvious.

"Enough of this _nonsense_," Darth Sceptaurus spat. "Guards - "

"Wait, Master!" Zin interrupted. He looked at Vhinh, demanding, "Who are these people - and what is the significance of this datacorder she speaks of?"

Vhinh took on a more confident aire. "This is my lovely wife," he said proudly, indicating Karta. "And the bounty hunter who captured me." The irony of this fact showed in his words. He then grew completely serious. "And that datacorder will confirm what I've told you, Koren. It's been stamped and verified - it contains all the information you need."

"Do not pay them any mind, Zin. It is all trickery. Now _finish_ this!" Darth Sceptaurus ordered, a barely detectable hint of desperation in his voice. Zin looked down at his father, but seemed unsure.

"I won't tell you what you should do, Koren," Vhinh said. "But you deserve to know the truth. And if you don't believe what I tell you, perhaps you can ask your master."

Zin looked up, at nothing, and seemed to be deep in thought. Darth Sceptaurus took note of this.

"Are you really going to put any stock into the words of a _Jedi_?"

"No, Master," Zin replied. He turned to look at Darth Sceptaurus - in the eye - something he rarely did, if ever. "But I _will _put stock into _your_ words."

Darth Sceptaurus met his gaze with an ice-cold stare. "Then what is it you wish to know, my apprentice?" His words had a depth of evil behind them that made many who were present shudder.

"Does he speak the truth?" For one not a minute ago so dark and hate-filled, Zin appeared now almost vulnerable.

"Perhaps this datacorder holds some form of 'circumstantial evidence' that places myself at said place at said time. But that really says nothing, does it? So once again it comes down to who you choose to believe. Look inside _yourself_, my apprentice. There you will find your answer."

Zin looked down to his father, then back to his master. He appeared greatly conflicted. He steadied himself. "I need to hear you say it. _Tell _me you didn't kill her."

"How _dare _you question me?! After all I have done for you!" the Sith lord snarled.

"_Did you kill her_?" Zin asked, slowly and precisely, though he trembled violently as he spoke.

"I made you what you are," Darth Sceptaurus retorted in the same dark tone. "I trained you in the ways of the Sith and the dark side of the Force. I taught you how to feed off of your anger; your hatred. Then I fueled that hatred - unlocking your _true_ potential." He had a hollow look about him, and seemed to become lost in his own words, which he strongly enunciated. "_Unimaginable power_."

After a moment, his focus returned to Darth Zin. "Look at what you have become. You _owe _that to _me_. Certain..."

He began slowly pacing the floor. "_Steps_ had to be taken to facilitate this transformation. I may have preferred things had gone another way - but you must understand, she jeopardized our plans." As Darth Sceptaurus made this disclosure, Zin took on a pained look, then slowly began rising to his feet. "She was never intended to become what she was to you. An anticipated consequence, nonetheless. One that I was prepared to deal with, should the need arise."

"You speak of her as if she were one of your _creations_, to do with as you saw _fit_," Zin said with disgust.

"In a way, she _was_. Flesh and blood, yes. But merely a clone. Much like our own army. And who do you think the template was for _them_?"

Zin looked disillusioned, contemplating these words. And he had suspected the Chrome Guard were clones, but never gave much thought to their template. He'd once wondered if it had been Sceptaurus himself. But then it hit him - and it all made perfect sense.

"That is _correct_, my apprentice." Darth Sceptaurus seemed to read his thoughts. "Perfect genetic copies of you - with a few _minor_ tweaks to ensure their _complete _cooperation. But you are _so_ much stronger." He shuddered as he said this. "_I _did that for you. You may not have liked the means - but look at the end result; the big picture. Our empire. The two of us - _unstoppable _together."

Zin almost seemed to consider this for a moment. "And yet I can not forgive what you have done, Master."

Darth Sceptaurus nodded his head slowly. "As I would have expected. She has weakened you. Ironic, really. And yet another reason she needed to be eliminated. But you have not yet seen the extent of what I am capable." His eyes widened. "I could bring her _back _- just as you remember her. Her thoughts, her memories. We could rule together. We could have the family she always spoke of. We could have _anything we wanted_."

"You're _mad_," Vhinh uttered in disbelief.

Zin appeared deep in thought; at war with himself. Darth Sceptaurus knew how to get to him. And how could he _not _want what his Master had just offered? Even though he knew it would be a lie.

He shook his head abruptly. A single tear fell down his cheek. It was hard enough the first time, but now it was as if he had to let her go again.

"_No_, Master. Her memory will live on only with me. As will _yours_," he said in a deep, guttural hiss. He took a step toward Sceptaurus, reaching for his lightsaber.

"This can only end one way, my apprentice," Darth Sceptaurus warned. "Do not be on the losing side. Do not throw everything away over something that is in the _past_. Right now is the most important moment of your life - so choose wisely."

Darth Zin only stood there for a moment, his gaze locked on his master. "This hatred has lived within me for too long to simply let it go. But now - it will die with _you_." He switched on his lightsaber, and the red glow danced on his face like the fire in his eyes.

"Very well," Darth Sceptaurus conceded. "Guards - _kill _him."

It all happened so fast, there was little time to react. The guards rushed Zin, yet he made no move to fall back, instead meeting them head on - two at a time, three at a time, finally all four. He had trained with and defeated them his entire life; he was not afraid of them.

Seeing Vhinh forcing himself up, Karta called out to him. "Vhinh!"

She tossed his lightsaber to him, which he caught. By this time Zin had already executed two of the Chrome Guard, and was busy with a third, unaware of the vibrosword coming down on him from behind. He dealt a killing blow to the third guard, turning in time to see a vibrosword, inches from him, held by a guard who proceeded to collapse at his feet. Behind him was Vhinh, barely standing, lightsaber in one hand, staring at the fallen Chrome Guard as if he'd just committed an unspeakable act. Zin gave him a brief confused look before turning his attention elsewhere.

"Not so fast," Karta called out from the other side of the room. Father and son looked to see her and Kevilus, blasters trained on Darth Sceptaurus, who apparently, during the brief distraction, had tried to escape through the door from which they had came. Before he could even think about trying his chances with the two, Zin wave the blast door closed, sealing them all in the room.

Darth Sceptaurus quickly activated his com. "Guards! Sector 7, Level 2 - _now!_"

Karta scoffed, blaster still trained on him. "You'll be _dead_ before they get here. I've been looking forward to this."

"_NO!_" Zin protested before she could fire a shot. "Step back. This is _my _fight."

Agitated, she exchanged looks with Vhinh, who nodded reluctantly.

He couldn't begin to understand what Koren was feeling, or thinking, for that matter. But they now had a common enemy. And maybe Koren needed this - as _un_-Jedi as it sounded, Vhinh wouldn't take it away from him.

Darth Sceptaurus only laughed deeply. "So the student thinks he is ready to face the master."

He removed his hood and shrugged off his robe. His face showed all of his sixty-eight years, though even more twisted from the dark side of the Force. Pure white hair now framed both sides of his face, falling just past his shoulders. His body, only slightly less imposing as in his former years, still made him look surprisingly powerful and virile for his age. Altogether, he projected a frightening image.

"Fool. I do not need _you_ in order to win this war. I already obtained what I needed from you years ago, just minutes after your birth. But I kept you around because I saw tremendous potential. You were my _special project_. I wanted to see how far I could take it with you. But your _strength _became your _weakness_."

He let out a little chuckle. "Maybe you would have been better off as a _Jedi_." Hearing this, Zin seemed to actually experience physical pain. "No matter. The raw power you possess has taken you far, indeed. But you have not begun to know all of my secrets. Now, you shall see what comes with nearly two millennia of training in the ways of the dark side!"

Darth Zin had no knowledge of Sceptaurus's abilities to cheat death by creating a new life and transferring his essence to that life. Confused by this comment, he was caught off-guard when a surge of power from Darth Sceptaurus's fingertips hit him like a Star Destroyer coming out of hyperspace. It sent him flying through tables, computer consoles and vats of fluid and into a wall on the other side of the room. But Sceptaurus didn't stop there. He continued pumping the Sith lightning into Zin's body as he now stood, pinned against the wall by the violet storm.

Darth Sceptaurus crept toward him, grinning widely at the apparent agony he was causing Zin. He stopped momentarily, and Zin's body slumped down. With Zin now on all fours, breathing heavily, Sceptaurus laughed wildly.

"Ah, this does bring back memories. Yes, your mother looked like this, moments before I _ended _her. And there is one other secret I have not yet shared with you. She died with the knowledge that one day, her fate would be yours as well."

Unleashing another wave of energy, he watched as Darth Zin's body again tensed, freezing him in position. The lightning flashed through him like an x-ray, revealing every bone in his body, creating a haunting image.

Vhinh was about to intervene - he couldn't bring himself to just stand and watch this display. He began moving toward Sceptaurus and noticed a change in his composure. His features became twisted in confusion, then he appeared to be under heavy strain. Vhinh noticed that the ball of energy encasing Zin seemed to be pulsating and growing. Even more intriguing, though, was the fact that Darth Zin was actually slowly rising to his feet. He first dragged one foot in front of him, planted a hand on his knee, then pushed himself up to a hunched over position, where he stood for a moment. Darth Sceptaurus's features became even more contorted with exertion, and he seemed to be locked in a violent struggle with some unseen force.

With a cry of exertion, Darth Zin rose fully, the energy streaming from his body, and Darth Sceptaurus himself was now sent flying. Crashing into the same mess left in Zin's wake, he came to rest atop a pile of twisted electronics and fluid on the other side of the room. Zin wasted no time in drawing two lightsabers now, starting toward his fallen master, who was already climbing to his feet.

"You shall not catch me off-guard again, Master."

"I suspect I will not need to, my apprentice," Sceptaurus responded, gripping the hilt of his own lightsaber. "Your skills with the lightsaber were always sloppy. I will show you what comes with _proper _discipline." He ignited the weapon and stood, unwavering, as Darth Zin drew closer.

"_Show _me," Darth Zin taunted as he, without warning, flung one of the lightsabers at his master. He instantly had another activated - his signature tactic.

Darth Sceptaurus easily batted the weapon aside, and Zin drew it back to himself, sending another his way. This one, however, Sceptaurus caught in his own force-grip, bringing it to a smooth stop just within his reach. He snatched the weapon out of the air.

"You expect that to work on a _real _master?"

So the master and apprentice met, each now wielding dual lightsabers, and the resulting clash looked like two cyclones fighting for the same ground, ready to destroy anything and everything in their path. Darth Zin's blades struck from every angle, yet Darth Sceptaurus just as quickly was there to intercept each strike. Countering with minimal movement yet matching the younger man's speed, Sceptaurus seemed to draw on a phanton reserve of strength, as if he had been storing it up all these years for just such an occasion.

But Zin had seen him in action a select few times, when his dissatisfaction with a guard's technique had compelled him to give a demonstration of his own. These times had never ended well for the guard in question, but had served as an effective motivator for the others, Darth Zin included.

As if the blinding dance of their four blades had not occupied enough of Darth Sceptaurus's focus, he somehow managed to sneak in a sweep that took Zin off his feet. The apprentice barely rolled out of the way before Sceptaurus's two blades came down on him. While Zin tried to right himself, Sceptaurus wasted no time in rushing him, bring a blade down from each side. Zin was able to block, but the effort left him wide open to receive a boot that smashed square into his face. The crunch could practically be felt, and Zin spat a mouthful of blood along with what appeared to be a few teeth.

The whirlwind ensued. Zin, even more determined, let loose a flurry of strikes that Sceptaurus seemed to block with little effort. Try as he might, he still couldn't seem to get the better of the much older Sith lord.

Both of his lightsabers became caught between those of Darth Sceptaurus, and he was forced to let one go or lose his own hand.

"Pathetic," Sceptaurus commented dryly.

He continued the assault, not allowing Zin an opportunity to retrieve his lost weapon. With Darth Sceptaurus now taking up the offensive, Zin fought wildly to avoid his two blades; blocking, ducking and dodging however he could. But Sceptaurus was able to catch him with a slash to the back, then another to his left arm. Darth Zin grimaced as the burns set in, Sceptaurus grinning broadly in enjoyment. Was his master now simply toying with him?

Darth Sceptaurus again brought both blades down on Zin. One Zin blocked with his own, and with his other hand he actually caught Sceptaurus by the wrist. It was his turn to grin, as he jammed his thumb into his master's artery, pressing as hard as he could. His teeth were now bared, his face scrunched up in exertion.

"Feel that, master?" he bit out through gritted teeth as he watched Darth Sceptaurus's pained expression, their faces now inches apart.

Finally, the older Sith lord's grip gave way, and the lightsaber clattered to the floor. Now scowling, he quickly retaliated with a sharp elbow to Zin's face that opened a fresh cut above his left eye.

By this time, a new wave of Chrome Guard had reached the area, and they could be heard outside the blast doors, fighting to get in. Karta, Vhinh and Kevilus exchanged nervous looks and began forming a wide perimeter to cover the door, awaiting the inevitable.

As Darth Zin wiped newly gushing blood away from his eye, Sceptaurus force-pushed him, sending him crashing into the nearest wall and knocking the wind out of him. Dropping his remaining lightsaber upon impact, he scrambled to retrieve it as he watched his master fastly approaching. He succeeded, but before he could get back to his feet, Sceptaurus was upon him, swinging down violently with his own blade. The impact of blocking the strike knocked Zin back against the wall into a half-seated position, forcing him defend from that awkward stance.

Half-blind with leverage against him, Zin's blocks grew more clumsy as Darth Sceptaurus began to wear down his defenses. Sceptaurus cracked a sly grin as he feinted yet another strike, stopping just short of contact with Zin's defending blade. Instead he came in from another angle, slicing clean through the hilt of Zin's weapon and severly burning his apprentice's hand in the process.

Darth Zin let out an agonized scream. Sceptaurus brought down his saber again, prepared to land the killing blow, but Zin moved his head aside at the last second, then grabbed the hilt of Darth Sceptaurus's weapon with both hands and held on for dear life in spite of the pain.

Still with the advantage, Sceptaurus pushed down, forcing Zin all the way to the floor, and planted a knee firmly on his chest, pinning him.

The Chrome Guard has resorted to slowly carving their way through the blast doors with their vibroblades, and were now almost through.

"Time to die, my apprentice," Darth Sceptaurus said as the blade now lay only inches from Zin's face. "It is a shame it had to end this way."

Zin continued to struggle with all he had in him, but was clearly losing.

Vhinh was about to intervene once again, but was distracted by the sound of a large hunk of durasteel falling to the floor. The blast door. Kevilus and Karta's blasters now lit up, picking off Chrome Guard through the new hole before they could push through.

Zin's eyes were now closed, and Darth Sceptaurus could feel his resistance giving way. "Yes, my apprentice. You know there is no use fighting. Give in to your fate." He embodied bloodlust as he watched the glowing blade creep closer to Darth Zin's face, about to make contact. "This will only hurt for a second."

As Darth Sceptaurus prepared to deal the final wound, he heard a low humming coming from behind him, which abruptly stopped. His eyes went wide, and Zin opened his own, now wearing a devious grin.

Darth Sceptaurus looked down to see one of Zin's blades, protruding from his chest. He looked back up in astonishment to Zin, who motioned slightly with his head, causing the lightsaber to exit Sceptaurus's body, leaving a gaping hole. Darth Zin eased Sceptaurus to the ground.

He began to collect himself, but to his horror, Darth Sceptaurus's seemingly lifeless body began to stand back up.

And laugh deeply.

A haunting laugh that echoed throughout the room.

Vhinh was busy fending off two Chrome Guard who'd managed to breach the entrance, trying to stop them from reaching the other two, but now everything stopped, and all eyes were on Darth Sceptaurus.

He had a hollow look about him, and his pupils were no longer visible. "You think you have won?" His booming words filled the room, seeming to come from nowhere, yet everywhere. "But you never learned all of my secrets. You can not kill me!"

With that, he let out another stream of laughter, as the room began darken, now filling with a pale, violet glow. Wind began sweeping through the entire room, nearly knocking everyone off of their feet. Tables shifted, even tipped over, and lab instruments swirled around the room the room, caught in the violent whirlwind. Darth Sceptaurus's body now began to glow with the same violet, then grew brighter, and brighter still, until the light was abosolutely blinding.

And suddenly, his body seemed to explode into a burst of light, sending a shockwave through the room that did knock everyone off their feet. The light quickly dissipated, and the room was now almost pitch black. The only remnants of light seemed to dissolve around Karta, and she gave a low, pained moan.

"Karta!" Vhinh cried. He fought back to his feet and made his way toward her as the light began slowly returning to the room. "Are you _okay_?!"

"Mm," she grunted, clutching her stomach. "I think so. The blast just knocked the wind out of me, I guess."

Everyone instinctively turned to where Darth Sceptaurus had stood, but the only thing that remained was an empty pile of clothes.

The Chrome Guard began to get to their feet, as more flooded into the room. Vhinh, Karta and Kevilus readied their weapons without a thought, but watched as they were quickly approached

by hordes upon hordes, all with vibroswords out and ready to end them. They exchanged horrified looks, knowing there was no way they could begin to hold up against these odds. Steadying themselves, they prepared to die fighting.

"Stand _down_," Darth Zin commanded.

And they did; perhaps a couple hundred Chrome Guard, filling the room, now stood only inches away from the three, yet completely passive.

Vhinh slowly began to approach Darth Zin now, who turned his back to him.

"Was it really you who contacted me all those times, and not her?" Zin asked.

"I - I don't know what to say, Koren," Vhinh said regretfully.

"Hm," he said, showing no emotion. "As with other things, I believed what I wanted to." He turned to face Vhinh. "But why _did_ you?"

"You're my _son_," Vhinh said, as if he didn't believe the question. "I wanted to have some kind of contact with you - to watch over you, any way that I could." He paused for a moment. "She wished it as well, you know."

Koren nodded. "Had I known it was you, I would have rejected it."

"I know," Vhinh conceded. He gazed at his son who, no longer in a violent rage, was somehow still not really there. "So what now?"

"You should go," Koren said plainly. "I will not stop you. Guards - " He waved his hand to the side, and the Chrome Guard parted ways, opening a path to the door.

Vhinh looked at him in disbelief. "And what about you? I can't just _leave _you here. They'll never let this place stand as it is."

"Then I shall perish _with _it. It _is_ where I belong," he said, completely accepting.

Vhinh was incredulous. "_No!_ You'll come with us. You belong with _me_ - your _family_."

Koren shook his head, closing his eyes. Then he opened them. "I'm afraid that isn't possible. I've committed crimes against the Jedi Order and the Republic - things you wouldn't wish to hear about. They will not just let that go."

"I can help you," Vhinh reasoned. "You can't be blamed for what he turned you into. And you may have just single-handedly ended this war. We can figure _something_ out."

"No." Koren shook his head again, pacing further away from Vhinh. "There is nothing left for me."

"That's not _true_, Koren," Vhinh pleaded. "There's _me._ I love you. I always have."

Koren looked sullen. "Then perhaps I have forgotten _how _to love - because I do not feel it in any way that I can recognize. In fact, I still have this urge to _kill_ you - for no reason other than it's who I am. It's all I've ever known." Karta unconsciously readied her blaster. "But I'm _fighting _it - because you have given me a reason. But that is all I can give you in return."

"Then you're on the right path," Vhinh said hopefully.

"The right _path_?!" Koren replied angrily. "I'm _lost_! That right there," he pointed to the pile of clothes where Darth Sceptaurus had stood only moments before, "was my _life_. The only thing I had _left_!"

A tear slid down his face, and he inhaled sharply. "He _was_ my father for half of my life. And for reasons I cannot explain, I looked up to him. I aimed to _please_ him. But it was all _lies!_ And now he's dead - along with my _hatred_, the only thing that kept me going.

"This _empire_ I was supposed to be a part of - it's crumbling as we speak, before even becoming fully realized. And I no longer have the will to carry it on myself. It just doesn't matter to me anymore. _Nothing_ does."

His eyes came to focus on one of his fallen lightsabers lying on the floor ahead of him. He summoned it to him and began casually examining it. It was the very lightsaber he'd crafted as a boy.

"Koren, _listen_ to me. I will do _anything_ I can to help you find yourself," Vhinh promised. "I understand that everything is _very_ confusing right now. But - "

"You understand _nothing_!" Koren cut him off. "There truly is nothing for me. All my life, I have hated the Jedi. And all that I have believed in has been _lies_. That isn't something you just come back from." He looked down at the lightsaber, smiling grimly. "You said that you sensed I was troubled that first night you contacted me? Well, not much has changed. You should have let me finish the job _then_. It would have saved us all a lot of unneccessary suffering."

Koren looked to Vhinh once more, for the first time showing a hint of remorse. "I regret that we could not have met under different circumstances, father."

And with that he took the lightsaber in both hands, directing it at his stomach, and prepared to do what he had wanted to years ago.

"_NOOOOOOOOOOOO!"_ Vhinh screamed.

In desperation, he hurled his own lightsaber in Koren's direction. The blade, spinning end to end, sliced clean through both of Koren's wrists. A twitch in one of his severed hands ignited the blade, which now fell harmlessly to the floor.

Koren sunk to his knees, grimacing in pain as he looked at his wrists. "What have you _done_!" he wailed in shock.

Vhinh just stood there, a mournful look on his face, then hung his head. "I'm _sorry_," he said genuinely. "I did what I felt I had to."

"Why couldn't you have just let me die with _dignity?!_" Koren snapped.

"There's no dignity in dying before you've had a chance to _live_. I'm trying to _give_ you that chance - whether you want it or _not_. What kind of father would I be otherwise?"

Just then, a small army of Jedi, bounty hunters and cartel members began filing in, hesitantly at first, obviously wondering why the hordes of Chrome Guard made no move to stop them.

"I should sic my guards on you _and _your army!" Koren growled.

"But you won't," Vhinh finished for him. "You don't want to see more bloodshed any more than I do. You have nothing to gain from it. And deep down, you're a good person - I've always known that about you, Koren. You're just very damaged."

And Koren did nothing, as Vhinh, Karta and Kevilus led him away.

* * *

><p>Koren wanted nothing more than to break down; to sob like a baby on his father's shoulder. To let it all out. To tell him how messed up and confused he was. And scared. Scared because he didn't know what to do or what to think. And because he didn't know who to trust - or if he could every trust another person again. He wanted to feel the comfort of someone who genuinely cared for him; the day's events had drug up feelings he'd long since buried.<p>

But he wouldn't - he _couldn't_.

Was it because, of the two people he'd trusted in his entire life, one had left him, and one had been her killer? Or because, for as long as he could remember, he'd been conditioned to abhorr weakness? Whatever the case, he determined, it was better this way.

He'd finally slain his mother's killer. This was supposed to bring him closure. To empower him. And yet it only made him become even more disillusioned. Darth Sceptaurus had, in fact, had the last laugh. Not only had he taken Koren's mother from him - he'd taken everything else from him as well.

He could no longer swear allegiance to the Sith. Those were the teachings of his master, which he no longer wanted anything to do with. And yet, he'd hated the Jedi for so long, he still felt the same way about them.

Koren, however, suspected that his father did truly love him. He'd seen a look in Vhinh Skywalker's eyes that he'd only seen before in his mother's. But he could not reciprocate these feelings. To do so would open the door to a world he no longer wanted any part of - because it scared him to death.

Moving forward, there were only two things of which he was certain. His name was no longer Darth Zin - it was Koren. And from now on, he would only weep on the inside.

* * *

><p>Few, if any words were exchanged during the long walk through the murky cavernous fortress back to their ships. Upon hearing of Darth Sceptaurus's death, the remaining fleets had pulled back into full retreat. Cheers may have erupted in the skies, but on the ground few had anything to celebrate.<p>

As they stepped over body after body littering the dark halls - Jedi, Chrome Guard, Guild, cartel - it all seemed so implausible that one person could have caused this.

Vhinh and Karta walked on either side of Koren. Each had placed a hand gently on one of his shoulders as they led him out, but he'd recoiled from their touch, so they'd let him be.

Kevilus led them, still prepared for any surprises. There were none.

Now and then, Karta would look over to Vhinh, and he'd look back briefly to acknowledge her, but his expression never changed.

When they finally reached the ship, they led Koren to the cabin area. Alone for a brief moment, Vhinh and Karta fell into each other's arms, squeezing as if afraid to let go. When they pulled away, she saw he was weeping, and it made her do the same. She took his face in her hands and pressed her cheek to his. He placed his own hands tenderly around her face and kissed her. They fell into another long embrace. There were no words for what each of them were feeling, but it didn't matter, because they both knew.

Aboard the ship, Karta approached Kevilus. She said nothing, but offered her hand, giving him a nod of affirmation as he took it.

And so they prepared to head home, wherever that may be now. Though it seemed the worst was over, there was no overwhelming sense of relief as they'd once expected. Their lives would be forever changed. Though they'd somehow managed to hold on to the ones they loved, they had all lost something.

Maybe this was only the beginning, after all. Maybe once everything had finally sunk in, they would look back on this moment of mental paralysis and long for the same relief.

Whatever lay ahead, Vhinh and Karta knew that no matter what, they would be in it together. As the many stars merged into the lines of hyperspace, they prepared to be taken not to another place, but to another chapter in their lives.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Alright, everyone, now all that's left is the Epilogue. Keep reading, I'll have it up very soon.**


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